MUMBAI: Stand-up comedian Samay Raina has been summoned once again by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell in connection with the ongoing controversy surrounding his YouTube show, India’s Got Latent.
Officials confirmed that Raina has requested more time to respond to the summons as he is scheduled to return from US by third week of March.
The State Cyber Cell has issued notices to approximately 40 individuals who participated in filming 18 episodes of India’s Got Latent.
Additionally, the Cyber Cell has requested YouTube to take down all 18 episodes from its platform.
A Cyber Cell officer confirmed that YouTube had already removed the controversial episode within two days of its upload.
“Though we can’t see the episodes online, we are in touch with YouTube to remove the entire content. Meanwhile, it was learned that comedian Samay Raina removed the episode he had uploaded yesterday,” the officer said.
The officer also indicated that notices have been issued to all content creators, organizers, and attendees.
“So far, no arrests have been made. Action will be initiated after recording statements and scrutinizing the content,” the officer added.
The Khar police have collected statements from at least 10 individuals following a written complaint about the matter, as the episodes were filmed at a studio in Khar in November 2024.
Broke silence
Breaking his silence on the matter, Raina on Wednesday took to Instagram to address the backlash. He announced that he has taken down all videos of India’s Got Latent from his channel and assured full cooperation 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.
The controversy erupted after a remark made by YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia in a recent episode triggered a backlash. A formal complaint was subsequently filed against Allahbadia, social media influencer Apoorva Makhija, Raina, and the organizers of India’s Got Latent.
Meanwhile, Allahbadia had earlier issued a public apology, admitting that his comments were “inappropriate” and that he “had a lapse in judgment.” The investigation into the case remains ongoing.