The Supreme Court on Monday permitted YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia to continue hosting shows on YouTube, provided the programmes will maintain the desired moral standards. The apex court extended interim protection from arrest granted to YouTubers Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani, directing them to cooperate with the investigation in the case.
Hearing petitions filed by the YouTubers, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the performers for the alleged distasteful comments during one of the episodes of ‘India's Got Latent’ show. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh observed, “Every fundamental right is followed by duty. There are restrictions also”.
Hearing petitions filed by the YouTubers seeking quashing of FIRs or merging those registered in multiple states over their offensive comments, the bench said measures must be laid down to prevent airing of programmes that are not acceptable by norms of the society, without impinging on an individual’s freedom of expression. Coming down heavily on the petitioners for the language in the show, the bench observed, “Using filthy language is not talent.”
Appearing for the Centre and Assam government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the language used by Allahbadia on the show was not vulgar but perverse. “Leave alone a man and woman, me and AG cannot see it together. The judges cannot see it together,” Bar and Bench reported.
The YouTubers are facing probe in Maharashtra and Assam over the alleged obscene language they used in one of the episodes of the show. During an earlier hearing, the bench restricted registering fresh FIRs over the matter and banned them from performing shows for the time being.
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Considering the livelihood of over 250 employees employed by Allahbadia, the bench permitted the YouTuber to resume hosting the Ranveer show. “As of now, petitioners were restrained from airing any shows. Subject to the petitioner furnishing an undertaking that his podcast shows will maintain the desired standards of morality and decency so that viewers of any age group can watch, the petitioner is permitted to resume the Ranveer show. It has been ordered so since livelihood of 280 employees depends on the telecast of his show,” the bench ordered.
However, the bench did not allow Allahbadia’s plea seeking permission to travel abroad and said the plea may be considered once the YouTuber is no longer required to join the probe. The bench also restricted the YouTubers from conducting or participating in any shows that would have a bearing on the merits of the case.
Impressing on Centre the need to regulate content on online platforms, the bench said “some regulatory measures may be required”. “We have requested SG to suggest some measures which are effective to ensure the parameters of fundamental rights as delineated in Article 19. Any draft regulatory measure in this regard can then be put in the public domain to invite suggestions from stakeholders,” Live Law reported quoting the bench.
