From Latent To Pranit More The Mumbai Team Policing Viral Videos

When Maharashtra Cyber, the state police’s specialised cybercrime unit, registered an FIR this week against stand-up comedian Pranit More and two audience members over remarks made during a comedy show in Gurugram, it marked the latest instance of an agency set up to tackle cybercrime stepping into controversies involving viral online content.

Established in 2016 to investigate complex cybercrime cases across the state, Maharashtra Cyber has increasingly found itself scrutinising comedians, influencers, YouTubers and other content creators over the past two years, often taking suo motu cognisance of viral social media content that authorities deem offensive, obscene or harmful without waiting for a formal complaint.

The cases reflect a broader shift in the agency’s role. Created primarily to investigate cybercrime and online fraud, Maharashtra Cyber has increasingly intervened in matters involving viral content and social media trends that authorities believe have the potential to cause public outrage or send a harmful message.

Earlier this year, Maharashtra Cyber registered an FIR against podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, stand-up comic Samay Raina, influencer Apoorva Makhija and others in connection with allegations of obscene remarks on the show India’s Got Latent.

In all, 30 judges, guests, participants and content creators associated with various episodes of the show were named, while nearly 50 persons were summoned during the investigation.

In November 2024, days after a social media user highlighted online listings of T-shirts glorifying gangsters such as Lawrence Bishnoi and Dawood Ibrahim, triggering criticism of the platforms involved, Maharashtra Cyber registered a First Information Report (FIR) against several e-commerce platforms and sellers.

An official said the agency routinely monitors social media platforms and takes suo motu cognisance of objectionable content without waiting for a formal complaint.

“This content (in More case) was viral and sent a wrong message to the society hence we intervened,” the official said. This is the only FIR registered in the incident so far.

Apart from cases related to social media, Maharashtra Cyber last year also registered an FIR in a digital arrest scam in which fraudsters siphoned off Rs 58 crore — among the largest amounts lost in a cyber fraud case in the country — and subsequently made several arrests.

The agency, which serves as the state’s nodal cybercrime authority, is also implementing an ambitious cyber security project for which the Maharashtra government sanctioned Rs 837 crore in 2023 to procure state-of-the-art equipment and strengthen cybercrime enforcement.

Maharashtra Cyber recently underwent an administrative change. Earlier, the agency reported directly to the state government rather than the office of the Director General of Police (DGP).

Earlier, while other police units reported to the DGP’s office, Maharashtra Cyber reported directly to the state government on the grounds that it would help expedite decisions related to combating cybercrime.