Samay Raina has taken court for a ride: Supreme Court fines comic Rs 3 lakh
The Supreme Court has imposed a Rs 3 lakh fine on Samay Raina and four other comedians, saying he "took the court for a ride" in the disability jokes case. The top court said the comedian failed to honour assurances made during earlier hearings, accepting the Cure SMA Foundation's submissions before directing him to pay the penalty within two weeks.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on 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 and directed them to deposit the amount within two weeks, warning that the penalty could be enhanced if they failed to comply with the order.
During the hearing, the bench also questioned Raina's public image, with amicus curiae Aparajita Singh submitting 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."
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant also expressed displeasure over Raina's response to the court, reportedly remarking, "Throw it away," while questioning why such a reply had been filed after so much time.
The observations came during the hearing of petitions filed by content creators Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani, along with the Cure SMA Foundation, in connection with the controversy over remarks mocking visually impaired people during the first season of India's Got Latent.
The court noted that despite assurances made before the bench, Raina's subsequent conduct did not match the commitments placed on record. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice JV 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 (SMA).
The bench further cautioned that if the comedians failed to comply within the stipulated period, it could increase the penalty substantially. "One more zero can be added," the Chief Justice remarked, indicating that the fine could be raised from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 30 lakh for each individual.
About the case
The controversy dates back to 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 patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), an infant suffering from the condition, as well as blind and cross-eyed individuals.
The remarks sparked widespread outrage, prompting the Supreme Court to issue summonses to the comedians and direct them to publish public apologies on their respective social media platforms.
During the hearings, Chief Justice Surya Kant also called for stronger legal safeguards against disability-based ridicule, suggesting that Parliament consider a law on the lines of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to make derogatory jokes targeting persons with disabilities a punishable offence.
"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 cost of anyone's dignity.
In October 2025, Raina and fellow comedians 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 read.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on 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 and directed them to deposit the amount within two weeks, warning that the penalty could be enhanced if they failed to comply with the order.
During the hearing, the bench also questioned Raina's public image, with amicus curiae Aparajita Singh submitting 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."
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant also expressed displeasure over Raina's response to the court, reportedly remarking, "Throw it away," while questioning why such a reply had been filed after so much time.
The observations came during the hearing of petitions filed by content creators Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani, along with the Cure SMA Foundation, in connection with the controversy over remarks mocking visually impaired people during the first season of India's Got Latent.
The court noted that despite assurances made before the bench, Raina's subsequent conduct did not match the commitments placed on record. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice JV 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 (SMA).
The bench further cautioned that if the comedians failed to comply within the stipulated period, it could increase the penalty substantially. "One more zero can be added," the Chief Justice remarked, indicating that the fine could be raised from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 30 lakh for each individual.
About the case
The controversy dates back to 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 patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), an infant suffering from the condition, as well as blind and cross-eyed individuals.
The remarks sparked widespread outrage, prompting the Supreme Court to issue summonses to the comedians and direct them to publish public apologies on their respective social media platforms.
During the hearings, Chief Justice Surya Kant also called for stronger legal safeguards against disability-based ridicule, suggesting that Parliament consider a law on the lines of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to make derogatory jokes targeting persons with disabilities a punishable offence.
"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 cost of anyone's dignity.
In October 2025, Raina and fellow comedians 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 read.
