India’s Got Latent row: Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina and panellists summoned by Assam Police

In recent developments, the Guwahati Police has summoned YouTubers Ranveer Allahbadia, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija, and Samay Raina for questioning in connection with the ongoing controversy over lewd comments made on the latest episode of Raina’s India’s Got Latent.

On February 10, the Assam Police filed a case against the panellists for "promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussion". On Thursday, the Maharashtra Police recorded statements from seven individuals in connection with the show, including social media influencer Makhija. Allahbadia’s statement has not been recorded yet and is expected to be scheduled in the next two days.

Raina, India’s Got Latent showrunner, was given a second summons by the Maharashtra authorities. According to ANI, the YouTuber is currently in the United States and will return on March 17. Amid the controversy, Raina removed all episodes of the show from YouTube and assured on X (formerly Twitter) that he would “fully cooperate” with the authorities.

The controversy stemmed when Allahbadia posed a ‘would you rather’ question to a contestant on the show. He inquired, “Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life, or would you join in once and stop it forever?" Allahbadia, widely known as BeerBiceps, apologised for the comment and pledged to use his platform more judiciously.

Makhija, who goes by ‘The Rebel Kid’, also made inappropriate comments about the female anatomy. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also summoned the panellists to appear before them by February 17.