Samay Raina got felicitated by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis after facing backlash for India's Got Latent Controversy last year.

Published on: Aug 27, 2026, 08:47:12 IST

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On Wednesday, Maharashtra Cyber unveiled its cyber-awareness short film Digital Arrest and the 1930 Maharashtra Cyber Anthem at an event in Mumbai, attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and celebrities including Ashish Vidyarthi, Pankaj Tripathi and Samay Raina. Samay, who contributed to both the short film and the anthem, was felicitated by the Chief Minister at the event. The comedian, however, used the occasion to reflect on his “long-standing association” with Maharashtra Cyber.

Samay Raina felicitated by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

During the event, Samay thanked Devendra Fadnavis for the felicitation and joked that he already has Maharashtra Cyber’s number saved because he often receives calls from them. He said, "Thank you for the felicitation, sir. My association with Maha Cyber has been going on for a very long time. 1930 is really a great number. I have actually saved it because I often get calls from there."

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A post shared by Samay Raina (@maisamayhoon)

He added, "The Maha Cyber Cell is very active. I can tell you this for sure—whether you are there or whether you are in India, they will catch you. “Aur aaj pehli baar hua hai ki Cyber Cell ka officer ek comedian ke ghar gaya subah, use ghar se uthaya, aur is baar felicitation hua hai (It’s a brilliant thing. Today, for the first time, it has happened that a Cyber Cell officer went to a comedian’s house and picked him up from his home, and this time there has been a felicitation)."

In February 2025, Samay came under the Maharashtra Cyber Cell’s scrutiny over his YouTube show India’s Got Latent and faced legal action over allegations of promoting obscenity and sexually explicit content. The controversy erupted after guest podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia made a remark about parents and sex to a contestant.

Multiple FIRs were filed against Samay, Ranveer and other content creators associated with the show. Following the controversy, Samay was forced to remove all episodes of India’s Got Latent from YouTube. When initially summoned for questioning, Samay was touring the United States and requested permission to record his statement via video conference. However, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell rejected his request, insisting that he appear in person and subsequently issuing multiple summons to ensure compliance. Samay eventually appeared before Cyber Cell officials in Mumbai for questioning and acknowledged his mistakes.

The comedian later shared a video of his felicitation on Instagram, with fans calling it a “full circle moment”. One fan wrote, "This is how you turn the tables." Another commented, "What a full circle moment." A third fan wrote, "Downfall maybe anyway but comeback should be like this." Samay has now launched Season 2 of India’s Got Latent, with episodes being released on both YouTube and Netflix.

About the event

Having contributed to the short film and the 1930 Maharashtra Cyber Anthem, celebrities including Ashish Vidyarthi, Pankaj Tripathi, Sharad Kelkar, Sonali Bendre, Javed Jaffrey, singer Sunidhi Chauhan, Mangesh Desai and Samay Raina attended the event alongside Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Speaking at the event, Fadnavis emphasised the importance of public awareness in combating cybercrime. He said such messages can be effectively conveyed to citizens through artists, actors and singers. The celebrities were also felicitated for their contributions to the Digital Arrest cyber-awareness short film and the 1930 Maharashtra Cyber Anthem.

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