NEW DELHI: Youtuber Ranveer Allahabadia on Friday moved Supreme Court to quash multiple FIRs against him in India’s Got Latent row.
However, the CJI Sanjiv Khanna turned down the request for an urgent hearing , saying that oral mentioning of cases is not permitted.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar took note of the submissions of lawyer Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for the YouTuber and said the plea would be listed in two-three days.
Chandrachud had sought urgent hearing on the grounds that Allahbadia has been summoned today by the Assam Police.
India’s got latent row
Ranveer Allahbadia, a popular social media influencer is currently facing multiple legal cases in different states following controversial remarks made during a web show.
The Maharashtra Cyber Department and Mumbai Police have summoned comedian Samay Raina to appear before them within the next five days in connection with Allahbadia’s comments on Raina’s YouTube show, India’s Got Latent.
Raina, currently in the US, has requested more time to comply with the summons.
Both the cyber cell and Mumbai Police are investigating Allahbadia’s remarks made on Raina’s show.
The Mumbai Police have asked Raina to provide a statement by February 17, while the cyber cell has scheduled his appearance for February 18.
Assam Police team arrived in Mumbai
Meanwhile, an Assam Police team arrived in Mumbai on Thursday to meet with Maharashtra cyber cell officials as part of their investigation into the case filed against Allahbadia and others in Assam.
The team had previously visited Khar police station on Wednesday to meet with senior police officers.
On Monday, the Guwahati Police registered a case against Allahbadia and four others.
The Mumbai Police have already recorded statements from seven individuals, including social media influencer Apoorva Makhija, in connection with Allahbadia’s controversial comments.
The Maharashtra Cyber Department has summoned over 40 people, including Allahbadia and Raina, to participate in the ongoing investigation.
The cyber police have also filed an FIR in the case and issued notices to Allahbadia, Raina, and others involved in past episodes of India’s Got Latent.
Allahbadia, who boasts over 16 million followers across social media platforms, came under fire after a video of his comments about parents and sex circulated online, sparking debates on freedom of speech and decency.
Apology video
In an attempt to resolve the issue, Allahbadia issued a video apology, calling his remarks a “lapse in judgment,” but the controversy continues to grow.
The issue was even raised in Parliament by Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske, who called for new laws to regulate social media content.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also summoned Allahbadia, Raina, Makhija, Jaspreet Singh, Ashish Chanchlani, and the show’s producers, Tushar Poojari and Saurabh Bothra, to appear before them on February 17 in New Delhi.
(With agency inputs)