SC rejects Ranveer Allahbadia's plea for passport release

YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s request for the release of his passport was denied by the Supreme Court, which stated that the matter would be reviewed only after the ongoing investigation into his controversial remarks is completed. Similarly, a similar plea filed by YouTuber Ashish Chanchalani was also dismissed.

The court, consisting of Justices Suryakant and N Kotishwar Singh, clarified that Allahbadia might need to cooperate further in the investigation, which stems from a viral joke made during a now-deleted episode of "India’s Got Latent." Both Allahbadia and Chanchalani have faced significant backlash after the episode, which led to multiple legal cases being filed in Mumbai and Guwahati.

Previously, the Supreme Court had granted Allahbadia interim protection but expressed strong disapproval over his language during the show, calling it inappropriate. The court had initially prohibited him from airing any content but later lifted the restriction, permitting him to continue his shows under the condition that they adhered to standards of morality and decency. Despite this, Allahbadia was forbidden from leaving the country without court approval.

During the most recent hearing, the bench noted that Allahbadia had cooperated with authorities, attending a session at the National Commission for Women (NCW) and participating in the investigation at the Guwahati police station. He had also given an undertaking that his future shows would maintain proper decency. However, the court maintained its stance on withholding the passport release until the investigation is concluded.

The Maharashtra government has indicated that the investigation is expected to wrap up within two weeks. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for April 21.