Big Relief For Ranveer Allahbadia: Supreme Court Orders Release Of YouTuber's Passport Following India's Got Latent Controversy

In a major relief for YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, the Supreme Court has directed the release of his passport. The decision comes several months after Ranveer was barred from leaving the country and had his passport confiscated following a Supreme Court hearing related to his controversial comments made on comedian Samay Raina's YouTube show, India's Got Latent.

Ranveer, who made inappropriate and controversial remarks about parents during his appearance on the show, is facing multiple FIRs and legal complaints across the country.

In an interim order on February 18, the apex court had temporarily stayed his arrest, with one of the conditions being that he deposit his passport with the Thane Nodal Cyber Police and not leave the country without the court's permission.

Ranveer had requested the release of his passport, citing his need to travel abroad for work and the completion of the police investigation against him.

Agreeing to his request, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh instructed the Nodal Cyber Police to return Ranveer's passport, enabling him to travel internationally. However, the bench clarified that the YouTuber must be available for questioning if needed during the investigation.

The court also noted that it would revisit Ranveer request to consolidate the various FIRs filed against him in the next hearing. During the previous session, Ranveer's lawyer, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, argued for the release of the passport, stating that the police investigations in Maharashtra were concluded.

He stated that it was crucial for Ranveer's livelihood, as he frequently needs to travel abroad for work. "Maharashtra Police had called him three times, and Assam Police once, with Allahbadia appearing on all occasions," his lawyer stated.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that Assam Police expected to conclude their investigation by the end of April, with a co-accused scheduled to give a statement on April 22. Consequently, the Supreme Court adjourned the case until April 28.

Previously, the SC had allowed Ranveer to resume airing his podcast under the condition that he uphold “standards of decency and morality.” The court also relaxed the earlier ban on Ranveer and his associates broadcasting shows on platforms like YouTube, as long as they avoided commenting on sub-judice matters.

news