The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Assam and Maharashtra governments regarding YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani’s plea to transfer an obscenity case filed against him in Guwahati to Mumbai.

The case stems from an FIR registered over alleged obscenity in the show India’s Got Latent, where podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia is the primary accused. The show’s panel, including Chanchlani, Allahbadia, comedian Samay Raina, and others, was criticized for the use of abusive language in an episode shot on November 14, 2024, at Khar Habitat but aired recently.

A Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotishwar Singh noted that Chanchlani had already secured anticipatory bail from the Gauhati High Court in this matter. During the hearing, Chanchlani’s counsel emphasized that the petition primarily seeks consolidation of multiple FIRs.

"We are essentially addressing which FIR should be considered," the counsel submitted.

Following this, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Assam and Maharashtra governments and tagged Chanchlani’s plea with a similar petition filed by Allahbadia, the prime accused.

"Issue notice and tag," the Court directed.

Senior Advocate Ajay Tewari, along with advocates Shubham Kulshreshtha, Apoorv Srivastava, Ashish Lalwani, Satya Rath, Amitabh Tewari, and Manju Jetley, represented Chanchlani in the matter.

The FIR against Chanchlani was lodged at the Cyber Police Station, Guwahati Crime Branch, Assam, following a complaint on February 10. He has been booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 79 (words, gestures insulting modesty of a woman), 95 (hiring/employing a child to commit an offense), 294 (sale of obscene objects to a child), and 296 (obscene acts and songs). He also faces charges under the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Cinematograph Act, 1952, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.

Chanchlani’s plea before the Supreme Court seeks to quash the FIR in Assam on the grounds that a similar FIR was registered earlier in Mumbai.

“Quash the FIR bearing No. 03 of 2025 registered at Cyber PS Police Commissionerate, Guwahati Crime Branch, Assam, as it was registered later,” the plea states.

Alternatively, he has requested that the FIR be transferred to Mumbai, where the initial case was lodged.

The Supreme Court had previously granted interim relief from arrest to Allahbadia while restricting him and other co-accused from airing any further shows until further orders.