New Delhi, Feb 21: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice on a petition filed by YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani, who is seeking to quash or transfer an FIR lodged against him in Guwahati for allegedly promoting obscenity in an online show.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh linked Chanchlani’s petition with that of podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, the primary accused in the case due to his controversial comments on the YouTube show India’s Got Latent.
During the hearing, the Bench observed that Chanchlani had been granted bail by the Gauhati High Court. The FIRs were connected to the same show, and Allahbadia had already received interim relief earlier in the week.
Notably, on February 18, the Supreme Court stayed Allahbadia’s arrest, condemning his remarks as “vulgar” and stating that his comments reflected a “dirty mind” that “put society to shame.”
The Supreme Court directed Allahbadia to fully cooperate with the investigation without legal representation at the police station.
In his writ petition, Chanchlani has challenged the FIR filed at the Cyber Police Station in Guwahati, requesting either its quashing or transfer to Mumbai, where a similar case had been registered earlier. Chanchlani’s legal counsel argued that he made no objectionable remarks during the show and that the allegations were primarily directed at his co-accused.
The FIR, filed by Guwahati Police on February 10, invokes several provisions, including the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act, the Cinematograph Act, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
