The National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued fresh summons to several content creators, including YouTubers Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina, after they failed to appear before the commission on February 17, over alleged derogatory remarks made on the show, India’s Got Latent.
According to reports, Ranveer and Samay, among others failed to appear because of logistical challenges and safety concerns, prompting rescheduled dates. News reports claimed that Allahbadia, citing death threats, requested a three-week extension, leading the NCW to reschedule his hearing for March 6, 2025. Apoorva Mukhija, who also expressed safety concerns, has been granted the option to appear virtually until conditions stabilize. Her hearing is also set for March 6.
Raina, currently in the U.S. for a pre-planned tour, assured the NCW of his availability upon return, resulting in a new hearing date of March 11. Similarly, Jaspreet Singh, who is on tour in Paris, will return by March 10 and is now scheduled to appear on March 11 along with Balraj Ghai.
Ashish Chanchlani, reportedly cited illness, had his lawyer appear on his behalf and has been granted a rescheduled hearing on March 6. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Tushar Poojari and Saurabh Bothra did not respond to the summons. The NCW, has reissued their summons for March 6.
Speaking to PTI, National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said, “The language used was very bad, such kind of language should not be used. We are serious, have written to the IT Ministry, there should be rules for such platforms.”
The Commission’s persistence in summoning the YouTubers has sparked mixed reactions online, with many questioning whether the matter deserves such intense scrutiny. One social media user commented, “This is getting out of hand. Agreed that what they spoke was despicable, but why hound only 2-3 YouTubers when there is so much uncensored filth on OTT?”
Another took a swipe at the NCW, sarcastically stating, “NCW have completely solved the problem of crimes against women, so they’re free now.”
Others expressed frustration at what they perceived as selective outrage, with one user remarking, “Adult content band nhi ho pa raha inse aur ek joke par halla macha rakha hai” (They can’t regulate adult content, but they’re making a fuss over one joke).
Another added, “Concentrate on real issues! Whatever they spoke on that show was unacceptable, but why is there so much outrage and FIRs being filed?”
Besides the NCW, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, a cyber and information security division, has also summoned Raina to appear before them on February 18 to record his statement in a case registered over his YouTube show. The agency is investigating the case registered against the podcaster and others after he triggered a massive uproar with his crass remarks about parents and sex on Raina’s web show.
The official said Raina, who is in the US for his show, had requested Maharashtra Cyber to record his statement via video-conferencing, but the agency rejected his request.