Ranveer Allahbadia row: Is India’s Got Latent show scripted? — What Ashish Chanchlani and Apoorva Makhija told cops

India's Got Latent remained under scrutiny on Wednesday — with Apoorva Mukhija and Ashish Chanchlani shared their statements with the Mumbai Police. The content creators revealed several details about the show including the fact that it was not scripted. Meanwhile the Maharashtra Cyber Department has summoned more than 40 persons including Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina to join the ongoing investigation.

How does the show work?

“The judges and the participants are told to talk openly. In India's Got Latent show, no payment is made to the judges. However, the judges have the freedom to post the content of the show on their social media,” Mumbai Police quoted Mukhija and Chanchlani as saying.

They also revealed that those wishing to participate in the show as spectators had to buy tickets. The money from ticket sales then then given to the winner of the show.

Officials recorded the statement of four people including the manager of Ranveer Allahbadia amid furore over the YouTuber's recent comments on the show. Formal complaints have been filed with the police in several cities over the past few days.

FIR registered, producers asked to delete episodes

The Maharashtra Cyber Department also registered a First Information Report against the show on Tuesday. The department has also asked the producers of the reality show to take down all its 18 episodes from social media platforms — something that host Raina indicated had already been done by him on Wednesday. Officials indicated that a preliminary probe had revealed that many participants also used vulgar and obscene language during earlier episodes.

 Allahbadia waded into controversy earlier this week after video clips of his ‘obscene and vulgar’ comments during the latest episode of "India's Got Latent" went viral. He had later attempted to address the situation through an apology video where he called his comments a “lapse in judgement”. 

The National Commission for Women on Tuesday asked Allahbadia, Samay Raina, Apoorva Makhija, Jaspreet Singh, and Ashish Chanchlani, as well as the show's producers Tushar Poojari and Saurabh Bothra to appear before it on February 17 in New Delhi.

(With inputs from agencies)