SC fines Samay Raina Rs 3 lakh, says comedian ‘has taken court for a ride’

The Supreme Court on Tuesday imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on comedian Samay Raina, observing that he had failed to comply with assurances previously given to the court and had misled the bench during the proceedings.

The court directed Raina to deposit the amount within two weeks, warning that coercive measures would be initiated if he failed to do so.

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 made about persons with disabilities during the first season of India's Got Latent, India Today reported.

Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, appearing for the Cure SMA Foundation, informed the bench that Raina had neither contacted the foundation nor reached out to individuals living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), despite earlier assurances given before the court. She questioned his public image as a youth icon, arguing that his conduct was inconsistent with the commitments made during the proceedings.

Taking note of these submissions, the bench observed that Raina had "taken the court for a ride" and imposed the monetary penalty.

The controversy stems from two episodes of India's Got Latent streamed on YouTube in 2025, during which Raina and other comedians made jokes targeting persons with disabilities. The remarks included references to people with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, including an infant with the condition, as well as visually impaired and cross-eyed individuals.

The comments triggered widespread criticism, following which the Supreme Court issued notices to the comedians and directed them to publish public apologies on their social media platforms.

During earlier hearings, Chief Justice Surya Kant had suggested that Parliament consider enacting legislation similar to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to criminalise derogatory jokes targeting persons with disabilities. The Solicitor General had agreed that humour should not undermine the dignity of any individual.

In October 2025, Raina and fellow comedians Vipul Goyal, Sonali Thakkar, Nishant Tanwar and Balraj Ghai issued a joint public statement expressing regret over the controversy. They said they were deeply sorry for the hurt caused by the show and pledged to be more mindful in the future while raising awareness about the challenges faced by persons with disabilities.