Mumbai: The Maharashtra Cyber Department and Mumbai Police have asked comedian Samay Raina to appear before them in the next five days in connection with the controversial remarks made by Ranveer Allahbadia on a web show, officials said Thursday.
Raina is in the US and has sought more time to appear before the probing authorities, they said.
The cyber cell and the Mumbai police are conducting separate investigations in connection with social media influencer Allahbadia’s remarks on Raina’s YouTube show “India’s Got Latent”.
While the Mumbai police have asked Raina to record his statement before February 17, the cyber cell has summoned him February 18, an official said.
An Assam Police team, which is in Mumbai in connection with the investigation in a case registered by them against Allahbadia and some others, Thursday met the Maharashtra cyber cell officials.
Earlier, the team visited Khar police station here Wednesday and also met senior police personnel, the official said.
The Guwahati Police Monday registered a case against Allahbadia and four others.
The Mumbai Police have so far recorded the statements of seven persons, including social media influencer Apoorva Makhija, in connection with Allahbadia’s comments on the reality show, the official said.
The Maharashtra Cyber Department has summoned more than 40 persons, including Allahbadia and Raina, asking them to join the probe into a case registered over Allahbadia’s controversial remarks on the YouTube reality show.
The cyber police, which has registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the case, issued notices Tuesday to the social media influencer and others including `guests’ and `judges’ who had participated in the past episodes of “India’s Got Latent”.
Allahbadia, who has more than 16 million followers across social media platforms, landed in the soup after a video of his controversial comments on parents and sex started making the rounds on social media and led to a massive debate on freedom of speech and what constitutes decency.
He tried to defuse the situation by issuing a video apology where he called his comment a “lapse in judgement” but the issue has refused to die down.
The issue has also been raised in Parliament by Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske, who called for a law to regulate social media.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) Tuesday asked Allahbadia, Samay Raina, Apoorva Makhija, Jaspreet Singh and Ashish Chanchlani, as well as the show’s producers Tushar Poojari and Saurabh Bothra to appear before it February 17 in New Delhi.
PTI
