The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted influencer Ranveer Allahbadia protection from arrest in multiple FIRs over his alleged distasteful comments during a YouTube show and also strongly criticised him for the remarks.
Infuriated over Allahbadia's comments, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said, "...there is something dirty in his mind which has been vomited on the YouTube show."
The SC questioned the language used by Allahbadia during the show, saying society has some values.
"What are values of society? What are these parameters, do you even know? The society has some self-evolved values. You need to respect them," the SC said.
"If this is not obscenity, what is it? Why should we quash or club FIRs against you," the court asked Allahbadia's lawyer.
However, the top court granted him relief, agreeing to the submissions of senior advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, representing the influencer, that he be protected from any coercive action. Moreover, he is receiving death threats, the advocate said.
Beside granting him protection from any coercive action in FIRs lodged in Mumbai and Guwahati, the bench also said no further FIRs shall be lodged against him for his comments during the YouTube show, "India's Got Latent".
Besides, the top court restrained Allahbadia and his associate influencers on the controversial YouTube show from airing any other episode till further orders.
It directed Allahbadia to deposit his passport at the Thane police station and said he shall not leave the country without the prior permission of the court.
The bench also directed Allahbadia to cooperate in the probe of the FIRs lodged at Maharashtra and Assam.