Devendra Fadnavis Felicitates Samay Raina at Cyber Awareness Event in Mumbai
Comedian and YouTuber Samay Raina was felicitated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a state cyber-awareness event in Mumbai on Wednesday.
During the programme, Fadnavis launched a cyber-awareness short film titled 'Digital Arrest' as well as the 1930 Maharashtra Cyber Anthem. Raina was honoured alongside several prominent personalities, including actors Pankaj Tripathi, Sharad Kelkar, Sonali Bendre, Ashish Vidyarthi, Javed Jaffrey, and Mangesh Desai, alongside singer Sunidhi Chauhan, for their contributions to the Maharashtra Cyber initiative.
While accepting the felicitation on stage, Raina made light of his previous encounters with the state's cybercrime wing. Speaking about the 1930 helpline number, the comedian joked that he had saved the number because he frequently receives calls from it. He also praised the cyber cell for its vigilance, quipping that officials could track individuals whether they were in India or touring the United States.
Raina further joked to the audience that it was unusual for a cyber cell officer to visit a comedian's home and pick him up, referring to his earlier summons and questioning by Maharashtra Cyber.
The comedian had previously faced legal action following a controversy linked to his YouTube show, India's Got Latent. The issue arose after guest podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia made an inappropriate remark during one of the episodes, leading to an FIR registered against Raina, Allahbadia, and other individuals associated with the production.
At the time of the initial summons, Raina was touring the United States and requested permission to record his official statement through video conferencing. Maharashtra Cyber rejected the request and directed him to present himself in person. Raina subsequently appeared before cyber officials in Mumbai, expressed regret regarding the controversy, and took down all Season 1 episodes of India's Got Latent from his channel.
Raina recently received legal relief when the Supreme Court quashed criminal proceedings on August 14 against him and four other comedians over remarks concerning persons with disabilities on the show.
