Mumbai police summon Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina over controversial joke at ‘India’s Got Latent’

The video clips of Allahbadia’s alleged insensitive and vulgar jokes went viral on social media platforms on Sunday and sparked a nationwide controversy. It also ignited debate over the misuse of freedom of speech and regularising content on OTT platforms. The show received sharp criticism from politicians, various human and women’s rights organisations, celebrities, artists, and the general public.

In Mumbai, various outfits, lawyers, and political parties made multiple complaints against the artists, the organiser of the show, and the platform that broadcasted the show, which was shot at a studio in Khar.

The police initiated an inquiry after two Mumbai lawyers, Ashish Rai and Pankaj Mishra, filed a complaint. The lawyers submitted a complaint to the Mumbai police and the national and Maharashtra women’s commissions, alleging that obscene comments were made against parents, women, and their body parts.

The Congress’s student wing, National Students Union of India member Nikhil Ruparel, also approached the Bandra magistrate court with a complaint seeking criminal investigation against Allahbadia, Raina, and the show’s organisers.

While the Mumbai police did not immediately register an FIR and were inquiring into the matter, the Assam Police registered an FIR against Allahbadia, Raina, and others on Monday. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to social media to announce that the FIR had been filed.

Allahbadia, who has over 1 crore YouTube subscribers, has since apologised for the remarks. He stated in the video, “My comment was not just inappropriate; it was not even funny. Comedy is not my forte. I am just here to say sorry.”