SC Orders Return of Ranveer Allahbadia's Passport

YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia was granted a significant reprieve by the Supreme Court of India on Monday, which directed the return of his passport, allowing him to travel abroad for professional reasons. 

The decision comes after Allahbadia faced multiple FIRs and legal complaints across the country due to controversial comments he made on the comedy show "India's Got Latent."

In February, the Supreme Court had passed an interim order, staying Allahbadia's arrest under certain conditions, one of which required him to deposit his passport with the Thane Nodal Cyber Police in Mumbai.

Additionally, he was not allowed to leave the country without prior approval from the apex court. Allahbadia filed an application requesting the return of his passport, citing the conclusion of the police investigation against him and the need to travel for work purposes.

On Monday, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh allowed Allahbadia’s request, instructing the Nodal Cyber Police to return his passport to facilitate his international travel. However, the bench made it clear that Allahbadia must remain available to the Investigation Officer if his presence is necessary for further investigation.

The bench also indicated that it would consider Allahbadia’s plea to consolidate the various FIRs filed against him, with the matter scheduled for further examination on the next hearing date.

During a previous hearing, Allahbadia's counsel, Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, urged the court to release the passport, pointing out that the investigation into the FIR filed in Maharashtra had been concluded. He stressed that Allahbadia's ability to travel abroad was vital for his livelihood.

"He (Allahbadia) has to travel abroad from time to time," Chandrachud argued. "As far as the petitioner is concerned, Maharashtra Police had called him on three occasions, and Assam Police had called him on one occasion. He had appeared on every occasion as required."

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state, informed the bench that the Assam Police were likely to complete their investigation by the end of April. He also noted that a co-accused had been summoned for a statement on April 22. 

The Supreme Court, taking this into account, adjourned the matter and scheduled the next hearing for April 28.

In a related development, the Supreme Court had earlier granted Allahbadia permission to resume his podcast, with the stipulation that he must uphold "standards of decency and morality." 

The court had previously imposed a ban on Allahbadia and his associates from airing any shows on YouTube or other audio/visual platforms, but it relaxed this condition. The court made it clear that Allahbadia’s shows should not comment on matters that are sub-judice.

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