NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed return of passport to YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia to enable him travel abroad in connection with work.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh relaxed the condition after being informed the investigation by the Assam and Maharashtra police against Allahbadia was complete.
Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for Allahbadia, asked the court to permit him to argue on why all FIRs against him was required to be clubbed. He said that Assam FIR may be more comprehensive than Mumbai, but it arises out of the same incident.
The bench told Chandrachud that it would consider his prayer for clubbing the FIRs against his client and bring it in one place on the next hearing. The bench asked Allahbadia to approach the Maharashtra cyber police bureau for the return of his passport.
"We permit the petitioner to apply to Maharashtra Cyber Crime Bureau for release of his passport. On such an application, let the passport be returned on such reasonable terms and conditions to be stated," the bench said.
The court on February 18, protected Allahbadia from arrest in multiple FIRs filed over his comments during a YouTube show and directed him to deposit his passport with the investigating officer of Police Station Nodal Cyber Police, Thane.
The court on March 3 allowed Allahbadia to resume his podcast "The Ranveer Show" subject to maintaining "morality and decency" and making it suitable for viewers of all ages.
Allahbadia was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comedian Samay Raina's YouTube show "India's Got Latent". Besides Allahbadia and Raina, others named in the case in Assam are comics Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Makhija.
