YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia moved the Supreme Court seeking urgent intervention, claiming he is facing relentless harassment and death threats following his remarks on the now-deleted YouTube reality show India’s Got Latent.
In his plea, Allahbadia stated that a bounty had been placed on his life, with explicit threats calling for “his tongue to be severed”, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. However, his request for an urgent hearing was declined by the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna stating that “oral mentioning of the case is not permitted”.
Allahbadia, in his petition, argued that since the airing of the show, he has been subjected to an “unyielding wave of death threats and incessant harassment,” both from the media and the public.
He highlighted tweets on X, where individuals had openly called for violence against him. He emphasised that such threats pose a direct violation of his fundamental rights and constitute a serious threat to public order. His plea urged the court to intervene to prevent further escalation of criminal acts against him.
His petition further contended that the state and the authorities must acknowledge the risks posed by ignoring such threats, which could have a chilling effect on the right to free speech.
Allahbadia insisted that his statements on the show were “unscripted and spontaneous”, a momentary lapse in judgment rather than a premeditated act of misconduct. He argued that this should not be seen as a reflection of his character or intentions, stressing that he never meant to cause harm or offend anyone.
Citing multiple FIRs registered against him, Allahbadia claimed that they were malicious attempts to suppress his fundamental right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
He sought the quashing of FIRs lodged against him in Mumbai and Guwahati under sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Cinematograph Act, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. Alternatively, he requested their consolidation, a stay on investigations, protection from arrest, and security for himself and his family.
The Supreme Court, however, refused to grant an urgent hearing on the matter. Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for Allahbadia, sought immediate listing of the case, but the court ruled that it would be taken up as per procedure.