The Supreme Court of India has lifted the restriction on YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia, allowing him to resume his podcast, “The Ranveer Show,” subject to maintaining standards of decency and morality. This decision comes after Allahabadia’s counsel, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, argued that the restriction was affecting not only Allahabadia’s livelihood but also those of his 280-odd employees.
The court’s order states that Allahabadia must furnish an undertaking that his podcast shows will maintain the desired standards of morality and decency, ensuring that viewers of any age group can watch. Additionally, the court has asked Allahabadia not to comment on proceedings that are sub-judice before the court.
The controversy surrounding Allahabadia stems from his participation in an episode of comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show “India’s Got Latent,” which contained explicit sexual references and drew widespread criticism ⁴. Allahabadia and other YouTubers involved in the episode faced multiple FIRs across the country, prompting them to approach the Supreme Court for relief.
The court has also expressed its intention to examine the need for regulation of online content, stressing that while it doesn’t want censorship, there needs to be some control to ensure that content is within bounds of Article 19(4) of the Constitution ¹ ². Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has been asked to suggest measures to regulate online content without infringing on the fundamental right of free speech and expression.
