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India’s Supreme Court has instructed Ranveer Allahabadia, a popular podcaster and YouTube personality known as BeerBiceps, to halt all broadcasts until further notice. This directive comes days after Allahabadia faced obscenity charges for remarks made during an online comedy show, India’s Got Latent.
Allahabadia, who boasts nearly 20 million subscribers across two YouTube channels, is renowned for hosting a range of high-profile guests, including Bollywood stars, ministers, and businessmen.
However, his appearance on the show, where he made controversial comments—such as asking a contestant about watching their parents engage in sexual activity—prompted outrage on social media and led to multiple police complaints in Maharashtra and Assam.
On Tuesday, a bench of two Supreme Court judges, Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, granted Allahabadia protection from arrest but ordered that neither he nor his associates could air any shows until further orders.
The court was hearing a writ petition from Allahabadia, 31, who sought legal protection and asked for all complaints against him to be consolidated. His lawyer also informed the court that Allahabadia had received death threats, and the judges stated that he could seek police protection if necessary.
The controversy surrounding Allahabadia stems from the remarks made during his guest appearance on India’s Got Latent, where the comedian panel judges newcomers’ stand-up comedy attempts.
His comments sparked public backlash, leading to police action. Allahabadia later apologized for the incident, and the episode has been removed from all platforms.
While India’s online platforms like YouTube are not subject to strict censorship, the country’s conservative social and cultural values have increasingly led to complaints against content seen as violating decency norms.
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