YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, known by his online alias "BeerBiceps," has petitioned the Supreme Court for relief from multiple FIRs lodged against him across various states.
The FIRs are linked to controversial remarks he made during a now-deleted episode of India's Got Latent, a YouTube reality show hosted by comedian Samay Raina.
Represented by lawyer Abhinav Chandrachud, son of former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Allahbadia has filed a petition seeking to consolidate the FIRs registered in different states.
He is also seeking anticipatory bail to avoid potential arrest by the Guwahati police, who have summoned him and others involved in the show.
The request for an early hearing was placed before Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. However, the CJI denied immediate consideration, noting that a date had already been set for the case. He advised Allahbadia's legal team to consult the court registry for further details.
The controversy erupted following Allahbadia's remarks on an episode of India's Got Latent, which included a provocative question about parents and sex. These comments sparked widespread outrage, leading to multiple complaints nationwide. A resident of Guwahati filed a formal complaint, prompting the Assam police to open a case under sections related to obscenity and public morality. The case names Allahbadia, Raina, and other participants like Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija.
The FIRs concerning Allahbadia and Raina were filed in Guwahati, Assam, following accusations of obscene and offensive remarks made on the show. An Assam police team is currently in Mumbai to deliver summonses to Allahbadia, Raina, and other participants. Raina, who resides in Pune, has also been summoned to appear before the Assam police within four days. However, he is currently in the United States for shows and has requested additional time to respond to the summons.
The issue has reached the Indian Parliament, where Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske demanded stricter regulation of social media content. A parliamentary committee on communications and information technology has instructed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to submit a comprehensive report on the incident by February 17.