YouTuber Requested Remote Testimony Citing Prior Commitments in the US
Mumbai, February 17: The Maharashtra Cyber Cell has rejected YouTuber Samay Raina’s request to record his statement via videoconferencing in connection with the ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy. Raina, currently in the United States, cited prior commitments and stated he would be unable to return to India before March 17.
However, the Cyber Cell has insisted that Raina must appear in person on February 18 to provide his statement.
The Controversy Around ‘India’s Got Latent’
The show, hosted by Samay Raina, sparked major outrage over controversial remarks made by podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia. During an episode, Allahbadia asked a contestant, “Would you rather watch your parents… or join in once and stop it forever?” The statement drew widespread criticism, leading to multiple complaints and legal actions.
Following the backlash, formal complaints were lodged against Ranveer Allahbadia, Apoorva Makhija, Samay Raina, and the show’s organizers.
Samay Raina’s Response
Raina later addressed the issue on Instagram, announcing that he had removed all videos of the show from his channel and was fully cooperating with authorities.
“Everything that has been happening has been too much for me to handle. I have removed all ‘India’s Got Latent’ videos from my channel. 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 wrote in his Instagram Story.
Legal Proceedings and Supreme Court Petition
On Friday, Ranveer Allahbadia approached the Supreme Court to club multiple FIRs lodged against him across India regarding his remarks on the show. Senior advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, representing Allahbadia, requested an urgent hearing, but Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna clarified that oral mentioning was not permitted and assigned a date for the case listing.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the Guwahati Police had registered an FIR against Allahbadia, Raina, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija, and others for allegedly promoting obscenity and engaging in explicit discussions on the show. FIRs have been filed in both Maharashtra and Assam.
With the Maharashtra Cyber Cell now demanding Raina’s physical presence, the legal battle surrounding ‘India’s Got Latent’ continues to unfold.