India's Got Latent remarks row: SC orders return of passport to Ranveer Allahbadia

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the return of passport to podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia to enable him travel abroad over work.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh relaxed the condition after Assam and Maharashtra governments said the investigation against him was complete.

The bench asked Allahbadia to approach the Maharashtra cyber police bureau for the return of his passport.

The top court also told senior advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for Allahbadia, it would consider his prayer for clubbing the FIRs against his client and bring it in one place on the next hearing.

On February 18, the top court protected Allahbadia from arrest in multiple FIRs filed over his comments during a YouTube show and directed him to deposit his passport with the investigating officer of Police Station Nodal Cyber Police, Thane.

The top court on March 3 allowed Allahbadia to resume his podcast "The Ranveer Show" subject to maintaining "morality and decency" and making it suitable for viewers of all ages.

Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comic Samay Raina's YouTube show "India's Got Latent".

The apex court had initially restrained Allahbadia from airing any programme of his podcast which had a direct or an indirect bearing on the merits of the sub-judice cases he was involved in.

On February 18, the top court granted interim protection from arrest to Allahbadia while calling his comments "vulgar" and saying he had "dirty mind" which put the society to shame.

Aside from Allahbadia and Raina, others named in the case in Assam are comics Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Makhija.