New Delhi: YouTuber Samay Raina appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in Delhi Tuesday, months after he was summoned in connection with allegedly offensive and sexist content aired during his show ‘India’s Got Latent’, officials said.
Raina was also among the five social media influencers who appeared before the Supreme Court in a case seeking action against them for ridiculing persons suffering from disabilities.
Raina submitted his statement in response to the allegations to NCW officials. Officials said further steps will be considered after reviewing his response.
The NCW had issued Raina notice following public outrage over remarks by participants and hosts that were perceived to be derogatory towards women.
His appearance before the panel follows repeated summonses issued since February. Raina and others did not attend the original hearing February 17, citing travel and security-related constraints.
The NCW rescheduled the hearing, giving them time to return to India and appear in person.
The controversy erupted after clips from ‘India’s Got Latent’, a comedy-based YouTube talent show, went viral earlier this year, leading to a backlash for making light of rape and objectifying women.
Following this, an FIR was lodged by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, and the NCW took suo motu cognisance of the issue.
The YouTube series was taken down in February, and Raina issued a public apology, saying he regretted any unintended harm caused.
In the weeks that followed, Raina announced a temporary break and later launched an international comedy tour, a reason he cited for his non-appearance in front of the commission.
