SC says probe against Allahbadia over, to hear passport plea on Apr 28

The Supreme Court on Monday observed the probe in relation to podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia was complete and said it would on April 28 hear his plea for the return of his passport in a case of distasteful remarks in a YouTube show.

On February 18, the top court protected Allahbadia from arrest in multiple FIRs filed over his comments during a YouTube show and directed him to deposit his passport with the investigating officer of Police Station Nodal Cyber Police, Thane.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said it would consider Allahbadia's plea on April 28.

During the hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for Assam and Maharashtra police, said in the Guwahati FIR, the statement of one co-accused would be recorded whereas investigation was complete in relation to the FIR in Mumbai but a chargesheet was yet to be filed.

The bench recorded Mehta's statement and observed the investigation qua Allahbadia was complete.

The top court on March 3 allowed Allahbadia to resume his podcast "The Ranveer Show" subject to maintaining "morality and decency" and making it suitable for viewers of all ages.

Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comic Samay Raina's YouTube show "India's Got Latent".

The apex court had initially restrained Allahbadia from airing any programme of his podcast which had a direct or an indirect bearing on the merits of the sub-judice cases he was involved in.

On February 18, the top court granted interim protection from arrest to Allahbadia while calling his comments "vulgar" and saying he had "dirty mind" which put the society to shame.

Aside from Allahbadia and Raina, others named in the case in Assam are comics Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Makhija.