The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, commonly known as Beer Biceps, in connection with the FIRs registered against him across the country over his alleged obscene remarks during an episode of the “India’s Got Latent” show.
The Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh further granted liberty to Allahbadia to approach the police for protection against threats.
No further FIR be registered against Ranveer Allahbadia with respect to the same show, ordered the Apex Court, while directing the YouTuber not to air any other show till further orders.
The Bench issued notice to the respondents on the writ petition filed by Allahbadia and told the YouTuber to deposit his passport.
He was further directed to join the investigation and cooperate with it. The Bench also gave him liberty to him approach the police for protection against threats.
Though the top court of the country granted interim relief to Allahbadia, it came down heavily on the YouTuber during the hearing, terming the language used by him as ‘dirty’ and ‘perverted’.
The Bench asked Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for Allahbadia, whether he defend the language used by the YouTuber?
While accepting that he was ‘disgusted’ by the language used by Allahbadia, Chandrachud said the question here was whether the same constituted any criminal offence.
He cited the verdict in Apoorva Arora case, which held that profanity per se would not amount to obscenity.
The Apex Court then asked him, if this was not obscenity, then what exactly constituted obscenity?
The Bench further said that the judgment in the Apoorva Arora case could not give a license to people to say whatever they wanted.