SC Directs Samay Raina, Others to Issue Unconditional Apology for Mocking Disabled
The Supreme Court on Monday asked comedian Samay Raina and several others to issue an unconditional apology for allegedly mocking persons with disabilities in their shows and online content.
A Bench led by Justice Surya Kant, with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, said the apologies already submitted were not adequate. The Court stressed that an apology should be “proportional to the disrespect caused.” Justice Kant also observed, “Today it is the disabled, tomorrow it can be women, children, or senior citizens—where will this society end up?”
The Court directed the comedians to post their apologies on their YouTube channels and podcasts, and to file an affidavit explaining how they plan to spread awareness about disability rights, as suggested by Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, representing the NGO Cure SMA Foundation.
Justice Bagchi remarked that many influencers were commercialising speech in ways that harm vulnerable communities. He stated, “When commercial and prohibited speech overlap, freedom of speech no longer applies.”
The case began after the NGO Cure SMA Foundation filed a petition seeking regulation of online content, pointing out that the comedians’ remarks ridiculed the ₹16 crore treatment cost of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and mocked persons with disabilities. Singh argued that such content damaged public empathy, discouraged fundraising, and violated the right to dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The Court had earlier warned the comedians of coercive action if they failed to appear. It also asked the NGO to submit transcripts and materials highlighting similar incidents. The matter has been registered as M/S. Cure SMA Foundation of India vs. Union of India & Ors and was heard on August 25, 2025.
