The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly criticised comedian Samay Raina, observing that he had "taken the court for a ride" by making false statements and failing to honour assurances given before the bench. The court imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh each on Raina and fellow comedians Vipul Goyal, Balraj Ghai, Sonali Thakkar and Nishant Tanwar, directing them to deposit the amount within two weeks. It also warned that the penalty could be increased if they failed to comply with its order.
During the hearing, the bench questioned Raina's conduct after amicus curiae Aparajita Singh informed the court that, despite performing comedy shows, he had not contacted the SMA Foundation or individuals affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), contrary to the assurances recorded before the court.
"Samay Raina is doing shows, but has not contacted the SMA Foundation or persons suffering from SMA, as per the court's order. I don't know what kind of youth icon he is. I shudder to think," Singh submitted.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant also expressed dissatisfaction with Raina's response to the court, reportedly remarking, "Throw it away," while questioning why such a reply had been filed after a significant delay.
The observations came during the hearing of petitions filed by content creators Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani, along with the Cure SMA Foundation, over remarks mocking visually impaired individuals during the first season of India's Got Latent.
The court noted that although assurances had been given before the bench, Raina's subsequent conduct did not reflect those commitments. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice J.V. Mohana also directed the five comedians to issue a public apology, file compliance affidavits and organise two special comedy shows every month to raise funds for the treatment of children suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
The bench further warned that non-compliance within the stipulated time could result in a significantly higher penalty.
"One more zero can be added," the Chief Justice remarked, indicating that the fine could be enhanced from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 30 lakh for each individual.
Background
The controversy stems from two episodes of India's Got Latent streamed on YouTube in 2025, in which Samay Raina and fellow comedians made remarks targeting persons with disabilities, including individuals with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, an infant suffering from the condition, as well as blind and cross-eyed people.
The comments triggered widespread criticism, prompting the Supreme Court to summon the comedians and direct them to issue public apologies on their respective social media platforms.
During earlier hearings, Chief Justice Surya Kant also suggested that Parliament consider introducing legislation similar to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to criminalise derogatory remarks targeting persons with disabilities.
"Why not consider a law along the lines of the SC/ST Act, with clear punishment for demeaning them?" the Chief Justice had asked the Solicitor General, who agreed that humour should never come at the expense of another person's dignity.
In October 2025, Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Sonali Thakkar, Nishant Tanwar and Balraj Ghai issued a joint statement expressing regret over the controversy.
"We, Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Sonali Thakkar, Nishant Tanwar, and Balraj Ghai, deeply regret the pain caused by our show. Going forward, we will be more mindful and do our best to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the community. Your strength inspires us to grow. With respect and gratitude, Samay, Vipul, Balraj, Sonali, Nishant," the statement said.
