The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea by YouTuber and influencer Ranveer Allahbadia today, seeking to club multiple FIRs filed against him over alleged obscene remarks made on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show, India’s Got Latent. The case, which has sparked widespread debate online, will be taken up by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh.
The controversy began after Allahbadia made remarks on India’s Got Latent that some viewers found offensive, leading to multiple FIRs in different states. Among those named in the Assam case are fellow YouTube personalities Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija. The Maharashtra Cyber Cell, Guwahati Police, and Jaipur Police have all registered cases in connection with the incident.
On Friday, senior lawyer Abhinav Chandrachud, son of former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, requested an urgent listing of the case. Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna assured that it would be assigned to a bench and taken up within a few days. Meanwhile, Allahbadia has reportedly remained out of reach of investigating agencies. The Maharashtra Cyber Cell has summoned him to appear on February 24, while comedian Samay Raina has been asked to appear before the authorities on February 18.
The case has also drawn the attention of the National Commission for Women (NCW), which summoned Allahbadia, Raina, and others involved in the show to appear before its office in New Delhi. The Commission condemned the remarks as vulgar and offensive, stating that such content contributes to the normalization of misogyny in digital spaces. However, several of those summoned have cited personal safety concerns, prior international commitments, and logistical difficulties in attending the hearing.
Allahbadia, who claims to have received death threats since the controversy erupted, has requested a later date for his appearance. The NCW has agreed to reschedule his hearing for March 6. Similarly, Jaspreet Singh, currently on tour in Paris, will return to India by March 10 and has been given a hearing date of March 11. Samay Raina, presently in the United States for a pre-planned tour, has also assured authorities that he will cooperate and attend a hearing upon his return.
In response to the growing backlash, Raina has issued a public apology, stating that he never intended to offend anyone and that all episodes of India’s Got Latent have been removed from YouTube. “Everything that has been happening has been too much for me to handle,” he wrote. “My only objective was to make people laugh. I will fully cooperate with all agencies to ensure their inquiries are concluded fairly.”
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Women’s Commission has filed a formal complaint, alleging that the show used obscene language to gain popularity and financial benefit. The issue has reignited discussions about content regulation on digital platforms and the responsibilities of online creators. While some argue that creators should have the freedom to express themselves, others believe stricter regulations are necessary to prevent harmful content.
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear the case, it remains to be seen how the legal proceedings will unfold. The outcome could set an important precedent for online content creators and the extent to which legal frameworks apply to digital media.
