Comedian and YouTuber Samay Raina found himself on the other side of a cybercrime story on Wednesday — this time as a guest of honour rather than someone being questioned.
Raina was felicitated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a cyber-awareness event in Mumbai, where he received recognition for his contribution to a Maharashtra Cyber initiative.
But when the microphone reached Raina, the comedian did what comedians usually do — he found the joke hiding in the room.
Samay Raina Turns Cyber Helpline Number Into Punchline
While speaking at the event, Raina took a humorous dig at his previous interactions with Maharashtra Cyber.
“1930 is really a great number. I have actually saved it because I often get calls from there,” Raina said, leaving the audience laughing.
He also praised Maharashtra Cyber for being particularly active, joking about the agency’s ability to track people even when they are outside India.
The joke had an obvious personal connection. Raina had previously appeared before Maharashtra Cyber during the controversy surrounding his YouTube comedy show India’s Got Latent.
So, at an event promoting cyber awareness, the comedian ended up using his own cybercrime experience as material — making the moment one of the lighter highlights of the programme.
Fadnavis Honours Bollywood and Music Stars
Raina was not the only celebrity recognised at the event.
Actors Pankaj Tripathi, Sharad Kelkar, Sonali Bendre, Ashish Vidyarthi, Javed Jaffrey and Mangesh Desai, along with singer Sunidhi Chauhan, were also felicitated for their contribution to Maharashtra Cyber’s awareness campaign.
Fadnavis also launched the cyber-awareness short film ‘Digital Arrest’ and the 1930 Maharashtra Cyber Anthem during the programme.
The campaign aims to educate people about cyber fraud and encourage victims to report financial cybercrimes quickly.
Why Does Samay Raina Know Maharashtra Cyber So Well?
Raina’s joke was not completely out of the blue.
He became involved with Maharashtra Cyber last year following the controversy over India’s Got Latent. The controversy began after podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia made an inappropriate remark while appearing on the show.
Police complaints and FIRs followed against Raina, Allahbadia and others associated with the programme.
Raina was outside India at the time and initially sought permission to record his statement through video conferencing. Maharashtra Cyber instead asked him to appear before officials in person.
He eventually returned and appeared before the agency in Mumbai, where he expressed regret over the controversy. He also removed the first season of India’s Got Latent from his YouTube channel.
Supreme Court Relief For Raina
Raina has also recently received major legal relief.
On August 14, the Supreme Court quashed criminal proceedings against Raina and four other comedians in a separate matter involving alleged insensitive remarks concerning people with disabilities on the show.
That legal history made Wednesday’s event particularly notable: Raina, who once had to answer questions from Maharashtra Cyber, was now standing on stage receiving an award at a cyber-awareness programme.
And, naturally, he had a joke ready.
