Mumbai, Feb 17: Maharashtra Cyber Cell has denied YouTuber Samay Raina’s request to record his statement via videoconferencing in connection with the 'India’s Got Latent' controversy.
In his plea, Samay stated that he is currently in the US and would not be able to return to India before March 17 due to prior commitments. However, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell has instructed Raina to appear in person to record his statement on February 18.
The controversy stemmed from comments made by podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia during the 'India’s Got Latent' show. Allahbadia asked a contestant, "Would you rather watch your parents... or join in once and stop it forever?" which led to widespread backlash. This prompted a formal complaint against Ranveer Allahbadia, social media influencer Apoorva Makhija, comedian Samay Raina, and the organizers of the show.
In response to the uproar, Samay took to Instagram to announce that he had removed all videos of the show from his channel and assured that he was "fully cooperating" with authorities. He also expressed that his intention had always been to entertain.
"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," Samay wrote in an Instagram Story.
On Friday, Samay and Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia approached the Supreme Court, requesting the consolidation of multiple FIRs filed against them across India over their controversial comments during the show.
