Comedian Samay Raina has faced a setback as the Maharashtra Cyber Cell rejected his request for a new date to appear before them regarding the ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy. Despite his plea, the police have insisted that he join the investigation by February 17.
Raina had asked for a delay in his appearance, explaining that he is currently in the United States for a series of shows and would not return to India until March 17. However, the Cyber Cell has not accepted his request, instead maintaining that he must comply with the original instructions to appear by February 17.
This legal issue stems from a controversial segment on India’s Got Latent where YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia, also known as BeerBicepsGuy, asked a highly inappropriate question to a contestant. Allahabadia asked the contestant if he would prefer to watch his parents engage in sexual activity for the rest of his life or take part in it once, but “stop it forever.”
The comment quickly sparked outrage across India, with many condemning the crass nature of the question. Legal cases were filed against several comedians involved, including Raina, Allahabadia, and others, in both Maharashtra and Assam. The controversy also attracted attention in Parliament, with parliamentarians raising the issue during the ongoing Budget session.
In response to the backlash, Allahabadia issued an apology, admitting that comedy was not his strength. Raina, too, expressed regret over the incident and issued an apology on social media. He confirmed that he had removed all videos related to the India’s Got Latent segment from his YouTube channel. Raina further emphasized that his intention was solely to entertain and spread laughter, not to offend anyone.
Raina also assured that he would fully cooperate with the investigation and stressed his commitment to resolving the matter fairly. “My only objective was to make people laugh and have a good time. I will fully cooperate with all agencies to ensure their inquiries are concluded fairly. Thank you,” Raina posted on X.
Other comedians also involved in the incident include Ashish Chanchlani, Apoorva Mukhija, and Jaspreet Singh.
The Maharashtra Cyber Cell has summoned more than 40 individuals in connection with the investigation, including judges and participants from previous episodes of the controversial show.
As the investigation progresses, the case continues to draw significant attention and raises questions about the boundaries of humor and the responsibility creators have on public platforms.
