India’s Got Latent row: Samay Raina gets 4-day ultimatum; will he cancel his US tour?

New Delhi: The India’s Got Latent controversy refuses to die down. After YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s shocking remarks triggered outrage, Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Cyber Cell have intensified their probe. And now, comedian Samay Raina, the show’s host, has been given a four-day deadline (until February 17) to appear before authorities.

The comedian has upcoming events in the US from February 16 to 20. He even requested an extension until March 17 to appear in person. However, the Cyber Cell has denied his request and directed him to report on February 18 before resuming his US tour.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police has already recorded statements from six individuals involved in the case. Guwahati Police has also stepped in, issuing notices to Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani, asking them to appear for questioning.

Samay Raina’s response to massive backlash

Amid the growing backlash, Samay broke his silence on X (formerly Twitter). The comedian revealed that he has deleted all episodes of India’s Got Latent from YouTube. “Everything that is 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 to ensure their inquiries are concluded fairly,” he posted.

His statement came a day after YouTube removed the controversial episode that started it all following orders from the central government.

Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina controversy

The controversy erupted after Ranveer Allahbadia, during the latest episode of India’s Got Latent, made a series of crude and offensive remarks. But what truly ignited public outrage was a question borrowed from a viral YouTube show. While BeerBiceps’ antics grabbed laughs from the show’s audience, several others online were not ready to sweep it away. Initially started from memes, the backlash took an ugly turn after multiple complaints were filed against both Samay and Ranveer.