Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
An Indian podcaster charged with obscenity has been allowed to resume airing his shows on the condition they meet standards of “morality and decency”.
Popular fitness influencer and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, known by his moniker BeerBiceps, was accused of obscenity after he asked a contestant in a YouTube show about watching his parents having sex, drawing multiple police complaints from around the country.
Worried about having to defend himself in courts around the country Allahbadia asked the Supreme Court to consolidate the cases. The two-judge Supreme Court bench was, on Monday, hearing Allahbadia’s request.
“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 Allahbadia from airing any shows that could have a “bearing” on merits of the case.
Allahbadia’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 Allahbadia 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.
