YouTuber Samay Raina appears before Assam Police over case for 'promoting obscenity'

Guwahati: YouTuber Samay Raina on Saturday appeared before the Assam Police here in connection with a case filed against him and four others for allegedly promoting obscenity on a publicly accessible online show, a police officer said.

Raina, who had earlier informed the police that he was out of the country, appeared before the investigating officer of the Crime Branch, Guwahati Police.

"He was examined and his statement recorded in connection with the case," the officer said.

Guwahati Police had registered a case on February 10 against Raina and YouTubers and social media influencers Ranveer Allahbadia, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija, among others, for promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussion in a publicly accessible online show, causing a serious harm to public decency and morality.

Guwahati Police's Crime Branch had registered a case under sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), read with sections of the IT Act, Cinematograph Act 1952 and ⁠Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.

Allahbadia had also appeared before the Guwahati Police on March 7 and was questioned for over four hours.

The police said that he had cooperated and assured of extending his cooperation in future, including coming to Guwahati whenever he is called, for the case.

The Supreme Court had granted him protection from arrest but had termed his remarks "vulgar".

Another accused in the case, Ashish Chanchlani, was the first to appear before the police on February 27 and was granted anticipatory bail by the Gauhati High Court on February 7.

Jaspreet Singh and Apporva Makhiija were yet to appear before the police who have sent them summons again after they sent emails that they were out of the country, the officer said.

Besides the five YouTubers, the owner of the place where the shooting of the controversial show took place has also been named in the FIR, he added.