The Supreme Court is set to hear YouTuber and influencer Ranveer Allahbadia’s plea on Tuesday, seeking to club multiple FIRs filed against him over alleged obscene remarks made on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show, India’s Got Latent. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh will take up the case. The controversy erupted after Allahbadia’s comments on the show led to legal action, with FIRs registered against him and others, including fellow YouTube personalities Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija.
On Friday, lawyer Abhinav Chandrachud, son of former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, urged the Supreme Court for an urgent listing of the matter. Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna assured that the case would be assigned to a bench and heard within two to three days. Meanwhile, Allahbadia has remained unresponsive to investigation agencies, according to a joint statement by the Mumbai and Guwahati Police. The Maharashtra Cyber Cell has summoned him to appear on February 24, while comedian Samay Raina has been asked to present himself on February 18. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also summoned the involved content creators, but several failed to appear, citing safety concerns, prior commitments, and logistical difficulties.
The controversy has drawn significant scrutiny, with allegations that the show contained offensive remarks about women to boost viewership and financial gains. Following the backlash, Allahbadia requested a new hearing date due to death threats, and the NCW rescheduled it for March 6. Other creators, including Jaspreet Singh and Samay Raina, also sought deferments, with their hearings now set for March 11. Raina, currently in the US, issued a public apology and removed all India’s Got Latent videos, stating his intention was purely entertainment. The Mumbai Commissioner and Maharashtra Women’s Commission have also received complaints regarding the show’s content, which has since been taken down from YouTube.