SC slaps ₹3 lakh fine on Samay Raina, says taken the court for a ride and has brazenly violated the orders

The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly reprimanded comedian Samay Raina, saying he had "taken the court for a ride" by making false statements and failing to honour assurances given before the bench. The court fined Raina and fellow comedians Vipul Goyal, Balraj Ghai, Sonali Thakkar and Nishant Tanwar ₹3 lakh each, directing them to deposit the amount within two weeks and warning that the penalty could be increased if they do not comply with the order.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice JV Mohana said that despite assurances made before the court, Raina's subsequent conduct did not match the commitments placed on record.

The observations came during the hearing of petitions filed by content creators Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani, along with the Cure SMA Foundation, over controversial remarks made about persons with disabilities during the first season of India's Got Latent.

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During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, appearing for the Cure SMA Foundation, told the court that the 28-year-old comedian had failed to contact the foundation or individuals living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), despite assurances previously made before the bench.

"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 said.

Taking note of the submissions, the Supreme Court imposed a cost of ₹10 lakh on Raina.

What is the case?

The matter relates to two episodes of India's Got Latent streamed on YouTube in 2025, in which Raina mocked the treatment of patients, including an infant, suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). The videos also contained remarks targeting blind and cross-eyed individuals.

Following the controversy, the Supreme Court issued multiple summonses to the comedians and directed them to issue public apologies on their respective platforms.

During earlier hearings, Chief Justice Surya Kant had also suggested the need for a stringent law, on the lines of the SC/ST 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, Samay Raina and four other comedians expressed regret in a joint statement.

"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.