Teams of Mumbai and Assam police visited the Versova residence of YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, on Friday as part of an investigation into his controversial remarks on a now-deleted YouTube show. However, officials found the flat locked, an officer said.
Police inquiry, missed summons
Allahbadia is facing backlash over crass remarks about parents and sex on comedian Samay Raina‘s YouTube show, ‘India’s Got Latent‘, which has since been taken down. Amid mounting complaints, Mumbai police had summoned him to appear at Khar police station on Thursday, but he failed to show up, prompting a second summons for Friday.
Instead of appearing, Allahbadia requested that his statement be recorded at his residence, a request that police denied, the official added. When Mumbai and Assam police teams arrived at his flat, they found it locked and returned to Khar police station.
Assam case, cyber probes & expanding investigation
Meanwhile, the Assam police are also pursuing a case in Guwahati following a complaint by a local resident, accusing Allahbadia of promoting obscenity in a publicly accessible online show.
Apart from Allahbadia and Raina, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija have also been named in the Guwahati case. The Assam police team met with Maharashtra Cyber Department officials on Thursday.
Statements recorded, more summons issued
Mumbai police, who have not yet registered an FIR, have so far recorded seven statements, including those of Makhija, Chanchlani, and Allahbadia’s manager, based on a complaint from a BJP functionary.
Additionally, Mumbai police have summoned Pratham Sagar, the video editor of ‘India’s Got Latent,’ for questioning on Friday afternoon.
The Maharashtra Cyber Department has also summoned at least 50 individuals connected to the show. Among them is actor and television personality Raghu Ram, who was on the show’s judging panel and recorded his statement on Thursday.
What’s next?
With mounting legal scrutiny and police expanding their probe across multiple states, Allahbadia and others involved in the show may face further questioning in the coming days. Whether an FIR will be registered remains to be seen.