India's got latent row: Samay Raina apologises, says no intent to offend in show remarks

Cops record comedian’s statement after backlash over poor joke, say he has expressed regret. Maharashtra Cyber Cell has so far recorded statements of 40 individuals in this case which includes Allahbadia, content creator and influencer Apoorva Makhija and media personality Poonam Pandey

Stand-up comedian Samay Raina on Tuesday appeared before the Maharashtra Cyber Cell and recorded his statement in connection with the controversy surrounding his and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia’s remarks on the reality show hosted by him, India’s Got Latent.

During questioning, Raina expressed deep regret over the use of offensive language on the show. Sources from the Cyber Cell revealed that Raina acknowledged his comments were inappropriate and unintentional. “He stated that everything happened in the flow of the show as nothing was scripted, and he did not mean to use such words deliberately,” a source revealed.

Police personnel outside the building that houses the India’s Got Latent studio in Khar on February 2. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

The comedian assured officials he would be careful next time, the source added. Raina further mentioned that the ongoing investigation and backlash have significantly impacted his mental state. He added that due to this controversy, his recent Canada tour did not go well.

Maharashtra Cyber Cell has so far recorded statements of 40 individuals in this case which includes Allahbadia, content creator and influencer Apoorva Makhija and media personality Poonam Pandey. The investigation is still ongoing, and Raina has been asked to appear before the authorities again on March 27 or 28 for further proceedings.

The controversy

The Maharashtra Cyber Cell registered the case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after outrage erupted on social media. Raina was the host of the show, and all episodes were uploaded to his YouTube channel. The controversy arose from an episode featuring Allahbadia, in which he made a controversial remark. As a result, the entire series came under scrutiny, prompting Raina to remove all episodes from his platform.

Apart from Maharashtra Cyber, multiple FIRs have been registered against Allahbadia, and the Mumbai police has also initiated a preliminary enquiry. However, since the Maharashtra Cyber has already registered an FIR, the city police have not filed any separate FIR yet. Despite being issued multiple summons in February, Raina did not appear, citing prior commitments to shoots in the US and Canada. He had requested to appear via video conference, but the Maharashtra Cyber denied his request. He finally appeared on Monday, where he was questioned for six hours. He has now been asked to appear again on March 27 or 28.

40
No of people whose statements have been recorded in case

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