Latest news with #RanveerAllahabadia
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Gag on freedom of expression shouldn't be a bail condition
Written by Shivani Vij A gag order restricts a person's ability to speak. Courts issue such orders, either preventively or punitively, to limit free expression. In a liberal democracy like India, where free speech is a cornerstone, gag orders are especially questionable, particularly when imposed as a bail condition. Recently, the criminal cases involving Ranveer Allahabadia (2025) and Ali Khan Mahmudabad (2025), along with the Supreme Court's controversial bail condition of 'no further speech', have faced strong public criticism. Such prior restraint not only sets a troubling precedent but also contradicts the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in Mohammed Zubair's case, where a three-judge bench explicitly deemed gag orders unconstitutional. First, Ranveer Allahabadia, who is facing prosecution for his comments in the show India's Got Latent, was granted interim protection from arrest, however, on the condition that 'he or his associates shall not air any show on YouTube or any other audio/video mode of communication'. Further, he was required to provide an undertaking that his digital podcast would adhere to the so-called standards of decency and morality. Second, Mohammad Amir Ahmad (also known as Ali Khan Mahmudabad), who is facing prosecution for his social media posts on the recent terror attacks in India, was also granted interim bail on the condition that he would be 'restrained from expressing any opinion in relation to the terrorist attack on Indian soil or the counter response'. Significance of the Mohammed Zubair case These orders must be analysed in the context of Mohammed Zubair. The counsel for the State of Uttar Pradesh argued that Zubair, of Alt News, be barred from tweeting when he is on bail. The State seemed to have thought that it would advance a fair trial and proper investigation. Or perhaps it presumed the accused's guilt at the FIR stage itself and that any further tweets would cause public unrest, despite conducting no inquiry or assessment on whether the statements actually constituted incitement. Rejecting this entirely, the court held that a gag order neither fits the illustrative bail conditions under Sections 437 and 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, nor does it have any nexus to a proper investigation or to secure the attendance of the accused. Besides, a blanket order asking the accused not to express his opinion, which he is entitled to as a citizen, is disproportionate and has a chilling effect on freedom of speech. It is unusual that the Supreme Court overlooked the significant precedent set in Zubair while issuing the recent gag orders. The Court also appeared to disregard the principle that bail conditions must be directly related to the ongoing investigation and its subject matter. There is no clear justification for how restricting future speech would assist in probing past media posts. Even if a later statement or comment incites public reaction, it would trigger a separate criminal case, rather than being linked to the existing one, which has already taken place. A right at the cost of another The prior restraining orders also seem to suggest that to uphold liberty under Article 21, the Court finds it necessary to limit free speech and the right to conduct business or practice a profession (Article 19(1)(g)), which has happened in these two cases. Such an interpretation significantly broadens the scope of reasonable restrictions under Article 21, effectively amounting to judicial censorship and infringing on other fundamental rights, particularly when the accused has not been found guilty in a court of law. This also bears similarities to preventive detention orders, which restrict a person's movement when there is a risk of crime or a threat to public safety; the key difference being that gag orders prevent the person from speaking, ostensibly to avoid harmful speech. It is rather odd that bail conditions in ordinary IPC/BNS offences have gathered the essence of preventive orders, which were meant to primarily safeguard law and order situations. Even the recent verdict in Wikimedia v ANI (2025) reiterates that it is not the court's domain to tell media houses what to say and what to delete or take down, with the only exception being postponement orders, which restrain media houses from delaying the reporting of a case. However, even those are for a limited duration and passed sparingly, only where there is a real and substantial risk of prejudice to trial (Sahara v SEBI). The recent gag orders are no doubt a disproportionate restriction on granting bail and should not become the practice of the highest constitutional court in the country, which is often adopted by the district courts and high courts. The writer is a Supreme Court advocate
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor on Pakistani Terror: 'This is the narrative the world should know', says Ranveer Allahbadia on Piers Morgan Uncensored
Indian podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia , better known by his nom de plume Beer Biceps Guy, made a passionate case for India's counter-terror operation, Operation Sindoor , during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored , calling out Pakistan's long-standing terror complicity. Holding up an image of Osama bin Laden, Allahabadia asked viewers to confront a reality long buried under diplomacy and denial. 'I hope everyone's able to see this person's face. He was found 800 metres from a military base in Pakistan. That's the face that the world recognises.' Next, he held up an image of Abdul Rauf and added: 'This is the face that India recognises because it's most specific to our narrative. This man is a UN-designated terrorist being celebrated by the Pakistani military in the background. That's not the narrative that they give the Pakistanis. That's not the narrative that the world knows. But if you check with the UN, if you check with the US, they'll tell you that this is Abdul Rauf.' Defending India's right to self-defence, Allahabadia went on: 'India's attacks were precision-oriented, moderate, and most importantly, they were simply a retaliation as they've always been. India has never been an aggressor in any of these situations. We export vaccines, we export philosophy, and we export engineers and leaders to the world. That's why our economy is 11 times the size of Pakistan's. But the Pakistani narrative is that, hey, look at these people. They're trying to get the world to sympathise with them.' Who is Abdul Rauf? Pakistan had claimed that the man leading the prayers was Abdul Rauf (circled), a preacher and member of Pakistan Markazi Muslim League. But it turns out that he was actually Hafiz Abdul Rauf — a 'specially designated global terrorist' by the US who is also on SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) list of the US govt (AFP photo) Abdul Rauf Asghar is a senior commander of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the younger brother of its founder, Masood Azhar. A UN-designated terrorist, Abdul Rauf has been linked to some of the most audacious attacks on Indian soil, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2016 Pathankot Airbase assault. Widely believed to be the operational head of JeM, he has also been sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department under terrorism-related provisions. Despite these international designations, he continues to live openly in Pakistan, with credible reports placing him at public rallies and fundraising events. His presence and protection by elements of the Pakistani state have long been cited as evidence of the country's complicity in harbouring terrorism. As Ranveer Allahabadia pointed out in his appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, 'This man is a UN-designated terrorist being celebrated by the Pakistani military in the background'—a reality that India has consistently tried to highlight to the global community. Pak and Terror: An Internecine Love Affair Pakistan's entanglement with terrorism isn't a bug in its foreign policy—it is the feature. From the mujahideen of the 1980s, whom the ISI trained with CIA funds, to the post-9/11 double game where the same agencies harboured and hunted terrorists based on convenience, the pattern is unmistakable. Terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Haqqani Network were not rogue elements but strategic assets—used to bleed India, influence Afghanistan, and maintain leverage with the West. The ISI's doctrine of 'strategic depth' created a hydra of non-state actors that now even threatens Pakistan's own stability. And yet, successive governments in Islamabad have worn their duplicity like a badge of honour, calibrating violence while pleading innocence on the world stage. In no other nation has the line between statecraft and sabotage blurred so thoroughly.
Mint
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Probe against Ranveer Allahbadia complete, says SC; sets Apr 28 to hear plea for passport return
The Supreme Court has extended the interim protection granted from arrest to YouTuber and Podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia in the case relating to the controversial remarks made by him and others in an episode of India's Got Latent. Supreme Court took into note that Maharashtra police has completed the probe into the matter and the chargesheet to be filed soon, news agency ANI said. The Supreme Court has taken note of the completed probe by Maharashtra police and the upcoming chargesheet. Supreme Court has asked Assam police to inform it whether investigation regarding Allahabadia is completed and he is no longer required for the purpose of further investigation. Supreme Court posts the case for hearing on April 28. The Supreme Court observed the probe in relation to podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia was complete and said it would on April 28 hear his plea for the return of his passport in a case of distasteful remarks in a YouTube show, news agency PTI said. On February 18, the top court 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. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said it would consider Allahbadia's plea on April 28. During the hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for Assam and Maharashtra police, said in the Guwahati FIR, the statement of one co-accused would be recorded whereas investigation was complete in relation to the FIR in Mumbai but a chargesheet was yet to be filed. The bench recorded Mehta's statement and observed the investigation qua Allahbadia was complete. The top 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, popularly known as BeerBiceps, was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comic Samay Raina's YouTube show "India's Got Latent". The apex court had initially restrained Allahbadia from airing any programme of his podcast which had a direct or an indirect bearing on the merits of the sub-judice cases he was involved in. On February 18, the top court granted interim protection from arrest to Allahbadia while calling his comments "vulgar" and saying he had "dirty mind" which put the society to shame. Aside from Allahbadia and Raina, others named in the case in Assam are comics Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Makhija. First Published: 21 Apr 2025, 04:18 PM IST
Khaleej Times
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Indian podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia can resume shows if moral standards met, top court says
India's top court allowed a podcaster charged with obscenity to resume airing his shows on the condition they met standards of "morality and decency", relaxing on Monday its previous order that the programme should stop until further notice. Popular fitness influencer and podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia, known by his moniker BeerBiceps, was accused of obscenity after making controversial remarks on a YouTube show. A two-judge Supreme Court bench, on Monday, heard Allahabadia's request that all the cases be bundled into one. "Subject to the petitioner furnishing an undertaking... that his own podcast shows will maintain the standards of decency and morality, so that viewers of any age group can watch, the petitioner is permitted to resume The Ranveer Show," the court said. The 31-year-old, who has nearly 20 million subscribers on two YouTube channels, has hosted Bollywood stars, businessmen, and ministers on the widely watched podcast. Supreme Court Judge Surya Kant also said that the show was being permitted to resume "since the livelihood of 280 employees" depended on its telecast. The court, however, barred Allahabadia from airing any shows that could have a "bearing" on merits of the case. Allahabadia's lawyer did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for a comment on Monday's order, which came nearly a fortnight after the court asked him to stop airing shows.
Arab News
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Indian podcaster charged with obscenity can resume shows if moral standards met, top court says
NEW DELHI: India's top court allowed a podcaster charged with obscenity to resume airing his shows on the condition they met standards of 'morality and decency,' relaxing on Monday its previous order that the program should stop until further notice. Popular fitness influencer and podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia, known by his moniker BeerBiceps, was accused of obscenity over remarks he made on a YouTube show, drawing multiple police complaints. A two-judge Supreme Court bench was, on Monday, hearing Allahabadia's request that all the cases be bundled into one. 'Subject to the petitioner furnishing an undertaking... that his own podcast shows will maintain the standards of decency and morality, so that viewers of any age group can watch, the petitioner is permitted to resume 'The Ranveer Show',' the court said. The 31-year-old, who has nearly 20 million subscribers on two YouTube channels, has hosted Bollywood stars, businessmen and ministers on the widely watched podcast. Supreme Court Judge Surya Kant also said that the show was being permitted to resume 'since livelihood of 280 employees' depended on its telecast. The court, however, barred Allahabadia from airing any shows that could have a 'bearing' on merits of the case. Allahabadia's lawyer did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for a comment on Monday's order, which came nearly a fortnight after the court asked him to stop airing shows. The podcaster last year shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a social media stars' event. 'India's Got Latent,' the show on which Allahabadia made the comments, involves a team of comedians judging newcomers' stand-up comedy. India does not censor online platforms such as Google-owned YouTube but remains a largely conservative society in which many espouse family and religious values, prompting complaints about shows seen as transgressing decency norms.
