The Supreme Court of India has denied YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s request to travel abroad while the investigation into an obscenity case against him continues. The court previously permitted him to resume his podcast on the condition that he maintains decency in its content.
Court Maintains Travel Restrictions on Allahbadia
Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, assured the Supreme Court on Tuesday that he would uphold moral and ethical standards in his podcast. The case stems from allegedly obscene remarks made during an episode of the web show India’s Got Latent.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh refused to lift the travel restrictions imposed earlier. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing the Maharashtra government, informed the court that the investigation would take another two weeks to complete. The court ruled that Allahbadia’s request to travel abroad could only be considered once the probe concludes.
“Since the petitioner might be required to join the ongoing investigations, his prayer for release of passport and permission to travel abroad will be considered after the investigations are complete,” the court stated.
Allahbadia’s Livelihood Impacted by Travel Ban
Allahbadia’s lawyer, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, argued that the travel restrictions were affecting the YouTuber’s livelihood. He emphasized that interviewing guests is a crucial part of Allahbadia’s career, which requires frequent travel.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed this plea, stating:
“If we allow you to travel, the investigation may also get deferred.”
With the probe expected to conclude within two weeks, the court instructed Allahbadia’s counsel to revisit the request later.
Case Background and Supreme Court’s Observations
Allahbadia is facing multiple criminal cases across India due to his comments on India’s Got Latent. The Supreme Court had earlier condemned the remarks, labeling them perverted and offensive. The Bench also questioned whether unrestricted vulgarity could be justified as artistic expression.
Initially, the court barred him from producing any shows. However, this restriction was later partially lifted, allowing him to resume his podcast under strict content guidelines.
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Potential Regulatory Measures for Online Content
During the hearing, the Supreme Court hinted at the possibility of introducing regulations to prevent obscene speech from being broadcast online.
Meanwhile, Allahbadia has cooperated with authorities. He appeared before the National Commission for Women on March 6, and later joined investigations in Guwahati on March 7, where one of the FIRs was filed against him.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 21.
