The Maharashtra Cyber Department filed an FIR on Tuesday against the YouTube reality show India's Got Latent, following criticism over inappropriate comments made by social media influencer Ranveer Allahbadia.
A department official confirmed to PTI that summonses are being sent to about 30 guests who have appeared on the show since its first episode.
The FIR was registered by the Cyber Cell after Allahbadia's offensive remarks stirred controversy.
The department has invoked relevant sections of the IT Act and is pushing for the removal of all 18 episodes of the comedy show.
The investigation revealed that several participants, including judges and guests, used "vulgar and obscene" language throughout the program. As a result, these individuals have been shortlisted for further scrutiny.
Following Allahbadia’s comments, several complaints were lodged in Mumbai demanding action against him, as well as other prominent social media personalities associated with the show, including Apoorva Mukhija and comedian Samay Raina, over alleged use of abusive language.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also issued summons to the podcaster, comedian Samay Raina and others.
The move came even as Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Annapurna Devi said she has sought a report from NMC on the controversial issue.
Earlier in the day, the Mumbai police visited the residence of Ranveer Allahbadia and summoned him for an enquiry. The Youtuber has also lost lakhs of followers on social media. Hashtags like #boycott_ranveerallahbadia and #unfollow_ranveer_allahbadi have been trending on these platforms.
Meanwhile, some members of the parliamentary committee on Communications and Information Technology, headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey, have said they will raise the issue of Allahbadia's "vulgar" comments at the panel's meeting scheduled for February 13.
A senior committee member said some MPs may raise the matter as it is their prerogative but the panel will concern itself with the wider issues concerning the content on various media platforms. The influencer may not be summoned, he said.
On Monday, the Assam Police filed a case against Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija, Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina and others for allegedly "promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussion."
In the show, Allahabadia asked a question to a contestant that he copied from a recent episode of OG Crew's Truth or Drink. He had asked: “Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever."
The question triggered a massive controversy. In a video message on X, Allahbadia issued an apology. "I shouldn't have said what I said on India's Got Latent. I'm sorry... My comment wasn't just inappropriate, it was not even funny. Comedy is not my forte, I am just here to say sorry."