Doctors' body issues legal notice to comedian, event organiser in cadaver remarks row

New Delhi: The controversy surrounding the viral remarks on cadavers made during a stand-up comedy show has taken a legal turn, with a doctors' body issuing a legal notice to the comedian, content creator and event organiser.

Alleging that the content insulted the medical fraternity, undermined the dignity of deceased body donors and promoted ethically objectionable conduct, the doctors' body has sought the immediate removal of the viral videos from social media platforms and a public, unconditional apology from the organisers. The notice comes amid growing outrage within the medical community and follows the registration of an FIR and intervention by multiple authorities in the matter.

Medical Dialogues recently reported that the medical fraternity strongly condemned the comments allegedly made by a final year MBBS student from KEM Hospital and a social media content creator about male cadavers. 

The controversy began during a crowd interaction segment at Pranit More’s show when the comedian reportedly asked whether doctors remain serious while handling cadavers during anatomy postings and post-mortem work.

Responding to this, the concerned medico allegedly made an inappropriate statement on cadavers. The video soon went viral and attracted criticism from doctors, medical students and social media users.

Members of the medical fraternity said cadavers are treated with utmost respect in medical colleges because they are donated bodies that help students learn human anatomy. Therefore, they said that such comments hurt the dignity of body donors and could negatively affect public trust in body donation for medical education.

As the backlash intensified, the medico reportedly issued a public apology on social media. In her statement, she said the topic was sensitive and admitted that her comments came across in a way they should not have.

Legal Notice issued

Pointing out that the content insulted the medical fraternity and the dignity of deceased body donors, the United Doctors Front (UDF), a registered organization committed to upholding the dignity, professional ethics, rights, and welfare of medical professionals across India, has sent the legal notice to the comedian and its organiser on June 12, 2026 through Advocate Muskan Singh Bankura demanding Pranit More to permamnently take down the videos from social media platform and that its organiser issue a unconditional apology to avoid legal proceedings. 

In the legal notice, UDF addressed two distinct but connected incidents arising from the same live crowdwork comedy show hosted by Shri Pranit More, which have together triggered a nationwide debate and formal legal proceedings.

The controversy is related to two clips from "The Ashleel Show", a live crowdwork comedy show performed and hosted by Pranit More, organised by The Laugh Store, held at DLF Cyberhub, Gurugram, Haryana. 

The alleged remarks that sparked anger within the medical community and led UDF to send the legal notice involved an MBBS student from KEM Hospital. The controversy began from a second clip from the same show, which went viral around June 10, 2026, following the earlier "Rs 370 biryani" remark. 

In this second clip, the medical professional appeared as an audience participant during the said crowdwork performance.

The notice stated, "** made remarks to the effect that she and her colleagues would compare the sizes of male cadavers' private parts while studying anatomy." The notice further alleged that the comedian laughed at, encouraged, and later broadcast the exchange on his social media platforms.

UDF in the notice said that these remarks constitute a grave violation of the dignity of the deceased, a betrayal of the trust of body donors and their families, and a serious breach of medical professional ethics. The association said that the practice of body donation in India is already insufficiently understood and underutilised.

Therefore, it pointed out that content that portrays the handling of donated cadavers in such a degrading, sexualised, and public manner has the direct effect of discouraging families from donating their loved ones' bodies for medical science, causing incalculable long-term harm to medical education in this country. 

The notice further stated that the MBBS medico, being a registered medical professional, is bound by the Indian Medical Council’s Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics Regulations, 2002, as well as the guidelines of the National Medical Commission, which require doctors to maintain dignity, confidentiality and professional conduct at all times. It alleged that publicly discussing deceased patients, even in a comedic setting, amounts to a breach of confidentiality and professional misconduct that could invite disciplinary action.

The notice also referred to the viral interaction involving a 23-year-old audience member who narrated an incident from a date, saying he had spent around Rs. 370 on chicken biryani and water for a woman and therefore expected physical intimacy in return. He allegedly further spoke about persisting despite the woman’s refusal, while the audience, including the comedian, laughed during the show.

"Shri Pranit More, rather than pausing, challenging, or reframing the deeply problematic nature of the said remark, actively encouraged and celebrated it — characterising the moment on stage as "Peak Gurgaon content". He did not at any point during the show draw attention to the fact that the remark described conduct amounting to sexual coercion and a fundamental violation of consent. He subsequently edited, subtitled, and uploaded the said clip to his own social media channels with the intent and effect of maximising viewership and commercial benefit from it," the notice mentioned. 

"That the said content is not a mere joke. It is a public endorsement — with a microphone, a platform of 2 million subscribers, and the power of laughter — of the toxic belief that a woman's body is a transactional commodity that can be purchased for ₹370. In a country where sexual violence and harassment statistics are deeply alarming, content of this nature — packaged as entertainment, uploaded for engagement, and celebrated by a performer with enormous digital reach — constitutes a direct and dangerous contribution to rape culture, victim-blaming, and the erosion of consent norms, particularly among young male audiences," the notice added

The notice further stated that these remarks attract liability under the following provisions of law: 

(i) Sections 75(1)(iv) and 75(3), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Acts intended to outrage the modesty of women and dissemination thereof;

(ii) Section 294, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Obscene acts and songs performed and broadcast in public/digital spaces causing annoyance;

(iii) Section 353(2), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Statements, rumours or reports prejudicial to public tranquility and dignity;

(iv) Section 356, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Defamation of the medical profession and its practitioners;

(v) Section 67, Information Technology Act, 2000 — Publishing and transmitting obscene and lascivious material in electronic form for commercial gain;

(vi) Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 — Violation of the spirit of dignified treatment of donated human bodies;

(vii) IMC (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 / NMC Guidelines — Breach of medical professional conduct and patient/deceased confidentiality by the medical student.

(viii) Article 19(2) read with Article 21, Constitution of India — Right to dignity of women, deceased persons, and the medical fraternity; freedom of speech is not a licence to broadcast sexual entitlement, obscenity, or professional misconduct

Earlier, UDF had submitted a Public Interest Representation to the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, seeking its intervention into the matter. It urged the Commission to take Suo Motu Cognisance of the matter, issue suitable recommendations or advisories to discourage the commercialisation of content that undermines human dignity and nationally promoted public-interest initiatives and pass any other order deemed fit in the interest of justice and protection of human rights.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Cyber has already registered an FIR against Pranit More, the medical student and others under the aforementioned BNS and IT Act provisions.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and summoned Shri Pranit More and the 23-year-old audience member to appear before it on 22nd June, 2026.

In the notice, UDF demanded that all noticees comply within 15 days of receiving the notice. It asked Pranit More to immediately remove all clips, reels and videos from the show, including the "Rs 370 biryani" interaction and the interaction involving the medical student from platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.

The association also sought an unconditional and public apology from the comedian and the organiser to women, the medical fraternity, body donors and their families, and the general public through the same platforms where the content was shared.

The notice warned that failure to comply within the stipulated period could lead to further legal action, including complaints before courts, the National Medical Commission, the Maharashtra Medical Council, IT grievance authorities and the Press Council of India.

UDF clarified that its action is not directed against any individual participant who has expressed regret, nor is it intended to interfere with ongoing proceedings before competent authorities. Instead, the association seeks accountability from digital entertainment platforms that repeatedly commercialise obscene and ethically harmful content for publicity and financial gain.

Commenting on this, Dr Lakshya Mittal, Chairperson, UDF told Medical Dialogues, "Freedom of expression should not be used to make money from content that promotes disrespect towards women, deceased persons, or the medical profession. Our concern is not comedy itself, but the repeated sharing of content that harms human dignity, constitutional values, and public trust in important initiatives like organ and body donation. People and platforms with millions of viewers must understand that influence also comes with responsibility."

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