Actor Raghu Ram on Saturday said he wished the YouTube show hosted by comedian Samay Raina had not included "some jokes that caused such hurt" amid widespread outrage over podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia's controversial remarks on an episode.
Mr Ram, who was on the judges panel in one of the episodes of the now-deleted 'India's Got Latent', released an official statement two days after he appeared before the Maharashtra Cyber Department amid a probe into the show.
"I do not regret being part of IGL. I wish the show had not included some jokes that caused such hurt. The sensibilities of a paying audience in a show can differ from a larger YouTube audience," he said.
"I might have kept some jokes out of the episode, but I am nobody to tell Samay or the makers what jokes to keep and which, if any, words to beep. It is their call, and I'm sure they don't take that responsibility lightly," Mr Ram, who was a former judge in the reality TV show Roadies, added.
He also said that freedom of speech is meaningless without the freedom to offend.
"Offence is often taken even when none is intended. But of course, I am sorry if I have actually caused hurt to anyone," he said.
He also said that comedians "push" boundaries, call out society and speak truth to power while entertaining. "But no comedian sets out to hurt sentiments. And they would be the first to apologise if they did."
"I do hope society maintains a proper perspective on the scale of this issue compared to others that need more outrage," the actor.
Mr Ram is among at least 50 people who have been summoned to record their statements.
His statement comes days after Mr Allahbadia, widely known by his online moniker "BeerBiceps", sparked massive controversy with his remarks about parents and sex during an episode of 'India's Got Latent', which also featured content creators like Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Mukhija, who goes by the name "The Rebel Kid" on Instagram.
"Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever?" Mr Allahbadia had asked a contestant.
After the backlash, he offered an apology and said he "shouldn't have said what he said".
The Mumbai Police have so far questioned eight people, including Ms Makhija, Mr Chanchalani, Mr Allahbadia's manager and the video editor of 'India's Got Latent', on a complaint filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. The city police have so far not registered any case in this connection.
Mr Raina has also been summoned by Mumbai Police and Maharashtra's Cyber Department, which is conducting an independent investigation. He had been told to appear within five days but has asked for more time, stating he is currently in the US.
Cops Find Ranveer Allahbadia's Mumbai Flat Locked
Teams of Mumbai and Assam police on Friday visited Ranveer Allahbadia's Mumbai residence but found the flat locked. A police officer told news agency PTI that Mumbai law enforcement had initiated an inquiry and went to the apartment, in the city's Versova neighbourhood, to question him.
On Thursday, Mr Allahbadia had been asked to report to the police station in Mumbai's Khar to record his statement. However, he later requested that this be done at his home.
His request, however, was denied and after he failed to appear, the cops issued a second summons and then landed up at his home.
The cops from Assam wanted to question the 31-year-old podcaster in a case filed by a city resident, who had accused him of promoting obscene content on an online platform available to all.
Besides Mr Allahbadia and Mr Raina, others named in the case in Assam are Ms Makhija, Mr Chanchlani, and Mr Singh.
