'No laughing matter': Times when comedians found themselves on wrong side of law in India

AIB Knockout attracted the wrong type of attention from religious groups, Bollywood actors and politicians in 2015

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A crass remark by YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia on comedian Samay Raina's show "India's Got Latent" has left many involved struggling against the long arms of the law.

The comment on parents and sex went viral on social media on February 10. Ever since, Allahbadia, also known as BeerBiceps, has been at the centre of heated discussion. Several FIRs have been filed against him as well as other comedians, including Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Makhija, who were part of the show.

Even as the Supreme Court of Tuesday protected Allahbadia from arrest over his distasteful comments, the episode refreshed in collective memory the many times Indian comedians were criticised for their content and at times found themselves on the wrong side of the law.

In February 2015, when Indian audiences were still warming up to the idea of stand-up comedy and YouTube comedy shows were in their nascent stage, the All India Bakchod Knockout, aka AIB Knockout, attracted the wrong type of attention from religious groups, Bollywood actors and politicians.