BREAKING: Supreme Court Quashes FIRs Against Comedian Samay Raina & Others For Mocking Persons With Disabilities

The Supreme Court today has quashed the criminal cases initiated against stand up comic and YouTuber Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Ghai, Sonali Thakker and Nishant Tanwar over their insensitive remarks made on the show India's Got Latent about persons with disabilities.

A Bench Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana noted that the requisite affidavits have been filed by the comedians.

"Respondents no 6-10 have expressed their willingness to invite persons suffering from SMA and give financial support. It is pointed out that 55 lakhs have been raised from proceeds of shows...", CJI noted today.

"Once there are genuine efforts positive results are bound to be there. They are very bright youngsters. If they have started working in positive direction, there will be positive output," court observed while proceeding to quash criminal cases filed against the comedians over insensitve remarks against disabled persons.

The bench will hear the matter further to consider suggestions from persons with disabilities on how to ensure better checks on such content and frame appropriate directions on the broader issues involved. "Matter qua respondents 6-10 is closed. Criminal proceedings against respondents 6-10 are hereby quashed. All other related proceedings are set aside. List to issue directions on the larger issue," the Court ordered accordingly.

In July, court had fined ₹3 lakh each on stand up comic and YouTuber Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Ghai, Sonali Thakker and Nishant Tanwar for not inviting specially abled persons on their platforms to promote the cause of generating funds to provide timely treatment to specially abled including those suffering from SMA.

Court had fined the comedians after it was told that Raina had not invited any disabled persons to his show which was one of the directions given by the Court earlier.

"We have no reason to not believe that Samay Raina has taken the court for a ride and has brazenly violated the orders of this court. The misconduct is further compounded stating that an affidavit is filed when nothing is on record...cost is for non-compliance of court order and no affidavit..make it 3 lakhs. If you don't comply we will add one zero...," court had said.

A CJI Surya Kant led bench is seized of a petition filed by NGO Cure SMA Foundation seeking regulation of online content & action against Comedian Samay Raina & others for allegedly mocking persons with disabilities. Court had earlier also asked the Central government to come out with a legislation for disabled persons similar to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

In August 2025, Supreme Court had pulled up Raina and others over the apology submitted by them for allegedly mocking persons with disabilities. "The apology must always be proportional to the disrespect caused..", Justice Surya Kant led bench of the Supreme Court said today. Justice Kant had further observed, "Today we have an unfortunate case of disabled, tomorrow it can be women, then children then senior citizens...where this society will land..".

Earlier, Supreme Court had taken strong exception to comedian Samay Raina’s alleged mockery of the exorbitant treatment cost for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), stating that such ridicule could not be passed off as humour or satire when it demeans persons with disabilities. During the hearing, Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, appearing for NGO Cure SMA Foundation, sought to intervene and pressed for regulatory mechanisms to curb offensive speech targeting the disabled community.

Singh had told the court that comedian Samay Raina’s remarks ridiculing the Rs 16 crore cost of SMA treatment for infants had a damaging psychological and social effect, diminishing public empathy and hampering fundraising for treatment. The senior counsel also cited instances where Raina allegedly mocked a visually impaired individual and referred to a video clip where former cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Suresh Raina were seen limping and holding their backs to mimic injuries, allegedly trivializing disability. “These clips are merely the tip of the iceberg,” Singh argued, adding that persons with disabilities are routinely made objects of pity or derision in popular media, which violates their right to dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Taking cognizance of the issue, court had directed the NGO to compile and submit a list of such incidents, along with video transcripts and suggestions for remedial measures. “Free speech cannot be a license to demean vulnerable communities under the guise of satire,” the bench had observed.

Case Title: M/S. Cure SMA Foundation of India vs. Union of India & Ors

Hearing Date: August 14, 2026

Bench: CJI Surya Kant, Justice Bagchi and Justice Mohana