SC Dismisses Plea to Cancel Podcast
In a major relief for YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the prosecution’s plea to cancel his podcast. The court ruled that he was free to continue his shows, provided they adhered to “morality and decency.”
“Livelihood in Question, But Limits on Speech Exist”
The court acknowledged that multiple employees depended on Allahbadia’s work. “If he wants to run a program, subject to maintaining morality and decency, he can,” the bench said. However, the court also noted that there was no defence for the language Allahbadia used in his controversial show, ‘India’s Got Latent,’ adding, “We are confident he has realised his mistake and hope he has some repentance.”
SC Criticizes Obscene Remarks & Limits on Free Speech
Earlier, on February 18, the Supreme Court had barred Allahbadia from airing any show while granting him interim protection from arrest following multiple FIRs filed in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Assam over his obscene remarks.
The court reaffirmed that freedom of speech has limitations, stating that foul language is not humour. “We have excellent comedians and writers in Bollywood who create humour with creativity,” the bench remarked, emphasizing the responsibilities that come with fundamental rights.
Defense & Prosecution Arguments
Allahbadia’s lawyer, Abhinav Chandrachud, argued that his client’s podcasts were not comedy but interviews, and many employees depended on him. “I understand he has no sense of humour, but this is his livelihood,” he said.
On the other hand, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state, argued that Allahbadia was guilty by association and urged the court to “let him stay quiet for some time.”
No Censorship, But Regulation on Online Content
While rejecting the plea to cancel Allahbadia’s podcast, the Supreme Court opposed excessive censorship but maintained that online content cannot be a “free-for-all.” The court urged the Centre to draft a set of guidelines for regulating online media content without resorting to strict censorship.
“We want the Union Government to draft something involving all stakeholders and bring it into public discussion,” the bench stated.
The Supreme Court was hearing petitions from both Ranveer Allahbadia and YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani seeking the clubbing of multiple FIRs related to the ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy.
