Supreme Court Slams Samay Raina and 4 Other Comics for Mocking Disabled Persons

The Supreme Court has strongly responded to a petition by Cure SMA Foundation, summoning comedians and influencers, including Samay Raina, over hurtful remarks about disabled people. The court is now considering issuing new guidelines to prevent such online content, highlighting the gap between regulations and real-life respect for dignity.

Also read: Samay Raina is in Trouble Again as SC Slams His Joke on Disability and Rare Disease

Internet’s Favourite Comics in Trouble for Mocking Disabled Persons

The Supreme Court of India has summoned stand-up comedian Samay Raina and four other comics for making fun of persons with disabilities in their online shows. The action was based on a petition filed by Cure SMA Foundation, a group that works for the welfare of disabled persons.

According to the petition, videos were submitted in which Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjit Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakker, and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar were all seen passing derogatory and mocking comments about people with disabilities.

Mumbai Police Was Asked to Take Action

The top court issued a notice to the Centre and Maharashtra governments and asked the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, to ensure that all five respondents are present in court on the next date. If they fail to appear, the court warned that coercive steps would be taken to ensure their presence.

Free Speech Cannot Hurt Others, Says Supreme Court

The bench, headed by Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh, sharply remarked that freedom of Speech does not allow insulting a community. “We are integrating disabled persons into society through judicial and legislative means. But such jokes pull everything backwards,” the court observed.

The judges added that any speech that demeans a class or community will be curtailed. They said they are considering establishing preventive and punitive guidelines to prevent such offensive content from spreading online in the future.

The Controversy Around “India’s Got Latent”

The issue came to light after Ranveer Allahbadia, a podcaster and influencer, landed in legal trouble for making vulgar comments on the show India’s Got Latent, hosted by Samay Raina. While dealing with Allahbadia’s plea to combine criminal cases filed in Assam and Maharashtra, the Cure SMA Foundation pointed out that Raina also made jokes targeting blind and cross-eyed persons on the same show.

Further investigation led to the discovery of multiple other clips where not just Raina, but also the other four comedians, were seen ridiculing persons with disabilities. These clips were included in the petition as evidence.

Cure SMA’s Argument: This Is Not Free Speech

Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who represents Cure SMA Foundation, told the court that while the foundation believes in free Speech, such jokes amount to hate speech. According to her, this kind of content deeply hurts disabled persons and their families and has no protection under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which gives the right to free Speech. The petition clearly said that these offensive comments affect the right to life and dignity of disabled persons, which are protected under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Guidelines Likely to be Introduced Soon

The Supreme Court said it will frame new guidelines to regulate and prevent such behaviour online. The SC requested Attorney General R. Venkatramani to assist in the case and invited suggestions from the Union Government, the Maharashtra Government, and advocate Aparajita Singh.

“We want guidelines that are both preventive and remedial,” the bench said. “People indulging in such irresponsible behaviour should not be spared.”

Current Rules Are Not Enough to Tackle Digital Remarks

Even though India has a few rules, like the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, the petition argued that there is a huge gap between the rules and actual enforcement. With the rise of Social Media, many laws and regulations do not apply to content on such Apps.

The Cure SMA Foundation asked for two main solutions:

1. Guidelines to regulate the digital broadcast of content that harms disabled persons.
2. A positive obligation on government and private platforms to ensure respectful representation of disabled persons.

What Happens Next?

The court has summoned the five personalities and is preparing to set an example for online content creators. This case may soon lead to stronger laws and more explicit rules on what can and cannot be joked about, especially when it affects vulnerable communities.

This case loudly sends the message that digital freedom is not a license to hurt others. Creators and influencers may soon have to rethink their content choices, especially regarding human dignity and social sensitivity.