Gauhati High Court Grants Interim Protection to YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani Amid Obscenity Controversy

In a significant development on Tuesday, the Gauhati High Court granted interim protection to popular YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani, who is facing legal action in connection with a controversial episode of India’s Got Latent. Justice Mridul Kumar Kalita, while hearing Chanchlani’s anticipatory bail application, highlighted the absence of specific allegations in the FIR. The judge also noted that the applicant had expressed a willingness to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

The decision to offer interim relief came after hearing both parties, with Justice Kalita citing a recent Supreme Court order regarding YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia, who is also involved in similar legal matters. The Supreme Court had granted interim relief to Allahabadia on the same day, involving multiple FIRs filed in Mumbai, Guwahati, and Jaipur, related to allegations of obscenity.

While granting Allahabadia protection, the Supreme Court condemned his language in the controversial episode, calling it “dirty” and “perverted.” The case has ignited widespread debate, especially after FIRs were lodged in multiple locations, including Guwahati and Mumbai, against the content creators involved.

On February 12, the Guwahati Police had filed an FIR against Chanchlani following a complaint by one Alok Boruah, invoking various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. This case began to unravel after Chanchlani’s remark during a February 10 episode of comedian Samay Raina’s show, which was considered offensive by some viewers. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had publicly stated on social media that the Guwahati Police had initiated action against five prominent content creators, including Chanchlani and Allahabadia, for promoting obscenity.