NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea from social media influencer Ranveer Allahbadia challenging the FIRs filed against him over his allegedly offensive remarks made during a now-deleted YouTube show, with the hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh is scheduled to hear the case, as indicated in the cause list.
Multiple FIRs have been filed against Ranveer Allahbadia across the country after his controversial comments about parents and sex during his appearance on Samay Raina’s YouTube show, ‘India’s Got Latent.’
The controversy erupted when Allahbadia made a provocative remark, asking a contestant, “Would you rather watch your parents or join in once and stop it forever?” In response, Allahbadia issued a video apology, describing his comments as a “lapse in judgment.”
However, the backlash has continued to escalate.
Earlier in the day, the National Commission for Women (NCW) also issued a new hearing date after several individuals failed to appear for questioning in the ongoing ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy.
Ranveer Allahbadia, Apoorva Mukhija, Ashish Chanchlani, Tushar Poojari, and Saurabh Bothra have been summoned on March 6, while Samay Raina, Jaspreet Singh, and Balraj Ghai are required to appear on March 11.
The Maharashtra Cyber Cell also rejected YouTuber Samay Raina’s appeal to provide his statement through video conference. Despite Raina’s explanation of being in the US with commitments preventing his return before March 17, authorities have insisted on his physical presence on February 18.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on February 11 said that Guwahati Police had lodged an FIR against Allahbadia, Raina, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Mukhija, and others. The charges involve promoting obscenity and explicit discussions during the show. Cases have been registered in both Maharashtra and Assam.