Mumbai: Comedian Pranit More and MBBS student Sejal Pawar appeared before the Maharashtra Cyber Cell this week and apologised for controversial remarks made during a comedy show that recently triggered widespread outrage on social media.
The controversy stems from a three-month-old video in which Pawar, who was part of the audience during More’s crowd-work segment, made comments about cadavers used in medical education. The clip resurfaced online after another viral controversy involving content creator Himanshu Jangra, prompting users to draw attention to Pawar’s remarks and demand action.
Subsequently, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell registered a case naming More, Jangra, Pawar and several others in connection with the circulation of allegedly objectionable content online.
Lengthy Questioning by Cyber Cell
According to officials, More and Pawar were questioned for more than eight hours and have been asked to appear again next week as part of the ongoing investigation.
Sources said More told investigators that the viral clip was taken from one of his comedy performances and admitted that he had made a mistake in handling the situation. He reportedly apologised multiple times during questioning and stated that he never anticipated the issue would escalate to such an extent.
As part of the probe, officers examined More’s mobile phone and seized recordings of several of his comedy shows for further scrutiny.
Pawar also acknowledged before investigators that the language used during the show was inappropriate. Sources said she expressed deep regret over the incident. Authorities have collected data from her mobile phone for forensic analysis.
Earlier Apologies
Last week, More had publicly apologised for another controversial remark made by audience member Himanshu Jangra during a show. He described his failure to intervene at the time as a “lapse in judgment.”
“I am receiving a lot of hate, and I probably deserve some of it. I got carried away when the audience was laughing. I should have stopped it, but instead I gave it a platform. That was my biggest mistake,” More said in a video statement.
Both Jangra and Pawar have also issued public apologies for their respective remarks.
Consequences
The fallout from the controversy has already led to disciplinary and professional repercussions. Pawar’s medical college in Mumbai has reportedly placed her on a 15-day forced leave, while Jangra was dismissed from his job following the backlash.
The Maharashtra Cyber Cell’s investigation into the matter remains ongoing.