Maha Police sends 2nd summon to Samay Raina over ‘Latent’ controversy

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. The probe intensified after a complaint was filed against multiple individuals, including YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia and influencer Apoorva Makhija, over allegedly objectionable content.

Raina, currently in the US, has requested additional time to respond to the summons. Officials confirmed that he is expected to return by the third week of March and will be required to record his statement upon arrival. Meanwhile, notices have been sent to around 40 individuals who were involved in filming the show’s 18 episodes.

The controversy erupted after Ranveer Allahbadia made a remark on the show that was deemed offensive. Following a public backlash, a formal complaint was filed, leading to police and Cyber Cell involvement. The Khar police have already recorded statements from at least ten individuals, as the show was filmed in a Khar-based studio in November 2024.

In response to the outrage, Raina took to Instagram to announce that he had deleted all episodes of India’s Got Latent from his YouTube channel. He stated that his intent was solely to entertain 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,” Raina wrote.

YouTube has already taken down the specific controversial episode within two days of its upload. The Cyber Cell has now formally requested the platform to remove all 18 episodes entirely. “We are in touch with YouTube to ensure complete removal of the content. Meanwhile, Raina has already taken down the latest episode himself,” an officer stated.

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities yet to make any arrests. “Further action will be taken after reviewing all statements and scrutinizing the content,” the officer added. As legal scrutiny tightens, all involved individuals, including content creators, organizers, and attendees, have been issued notices for questioning.