Saturday, March 29, 2025
The Supreme Court of India has granted significant relief to YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, by ordering the release of his passport. This decision comes months after Allahbadia was barred from international travel and his passport was seized following controversy over remarks made during comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show “India’s Got Latent”
Background of the Case
Multiple FIRs were filed against Allahbadia and other content creators, including Samay Raina, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija, for allegedly spreading obscenity and making sexually explicit comments on the show “India’s Got Latent.”
Following public outrage and police complaints, Allahbadia’s passport was deposited with authorities as a condition for interim protection from arrest
The Supreme Court had also initially restricted Allahbadia from traveling abroad and from airing his podcast, “The Ranveer Show,” until further notice
Supreme Court’s Latest Order
On April 28, 2025, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh ordered the release of Allahbadia’s passport after being informed by the Assam and Maharashtra governments that investigations against him were complete
Allahbadia has been permitted to approach the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Bureau with an application to retrieve his passport, enabling him to travel abroad for work
The court also stated that it would consider Allahbadia’s request to consolidate the multiple FIRs against him at the next hearing, as his counsel argued that the cases stem from the same incident. However, the bench noted that the FIRs contain distinct allegations and declined to merge them at this stage.
Ongoing Developments
The Supreme Court will address the issue of clubbing the FIRs in the next hearing.
The court also allowed the Cure SMA Foundation, a patient support group, to file a separate petition regarding remarks made about persons with disabilities during the show.
Summary
Ranveer Allahbadia can now apply to have his passport returned and resume international work travel, following the conclusion of investigations into the “India’s Got Latent” controversy. The Supreme Court’s decision marks a significant development for Allahbadia, who had faced months of travel restrictions and legal proceedings due to the case.
