‘Maintain decency’: SC allows Ranveer Allahabadia to resume his YouTube show
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia to resume his ‘The Ranveer Show’ on YouTube after he undertook not to use profane words.
“Subject to the petitioner (Ranveer) furnishing an undertaking that his own shows will maintain the standards of decency and morality, so that viewers of any age group can watch, the petitioner is permitted to resume ‘The Ranveer Show’,” the Bench Said.
The top court said his prayer for permission to travel abroad shall be considered after he joined the investigation. It also exempted him from further appearance.
Justice Surya Kant pointed out one of the accused went to Canada and spoke on the case. “These youngsters may think that we are outdated but we know how to deal with them. Don’t take the court lightly,” Justice Kant said.
Extending the interim protection from arrest granted on February 18 shall till further orders; it said that Ranveer’s show shall not have direct or indirect bearing on the sub-judice cases.
The top court also directed to come up with a draft regulatory mechanism on social media content and put it in the public domain to invite suggestions from all stakeholders.
The order came after advocate Abhinav Chandrachud submitted on behalf of Ranveer that the YouTuber has moved an application seeking lifting of a part of the previous order restraining him from airing his shows.
“He Ranveer) has no sense of humour at all… but he has 280 employees and it (his show) is his livelihood,” Chandrachud said, urging the top court to permit him to resume his show subject to the condition that he would utter no profane words.
On behalf of the Assam Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta termed the controversial episode of India’s Got Latent show as “perverse”.
“I saw the show out of curiosity… humour is one thing, vulgarity is one thing, and perversity is another level. Leave alone man and woman, the AG (Attorney General) and I can’t see it together. The judges cannot see it together. Let him stay quiet for some time,” Mehta submitted.
As Mehta said Ranveer didn’t join investigation after being called by the Assam Police, Chandrachud siad Whatsapp message was sent to Investigating Officer asking for date and time, but no response was received.
“Instruct your IO. Let him (Ranveer) know the date and time. He is obliged to join,” the Bench told Mehta.
Ranveer’s remarks on parents and sex on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show ‘India’s Got Latent’ triggered a controversy, leading to several FIRs being lodged against him in Maharashtra, Assam and Rajasthan.
In the eye of the storm over his comment about parents and sex during an episode of stand-up show ‘India’s Got Latent’, the podcaster got a major relief on February 18 from the Supreme Court which protected him from arrest in multiple FIRs lodged against him.
The Bench, however, pulled him up for his irresponsible comments. Terming his comment as a “height of lack of responsibility” and a “condemnable behavior,” the Bench said, “Just because somebody thinks ‘I am popular, I can speak anything and take society for granted’.”
“You tell us anyone on the Earth would like these kinds of words to be told? You (Allahbadia) are insulting people, parents also. We don’t want to say, (but) there’s something very dirty in his mind that has been vomited by way of this program,” the Bench said.
Noting that there was a legislative vacuum on the issue, the Bench had said it would like to do something, if the Centre didn’t do anything.
Issuing notice to the Centre, it had asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to convey it to Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist it.
