Popular YouTuber and comedian Samay Raina is facing fresh trouble as the Supreme Court has issued summons to him and four other influencers. The summons were issued in connection with a petition filed by an NGO, which accused Raina of alleged mocking of disabled individuals and people with rare disorders. The court held a hearing on May 5 over a video allegedly involving a child with a disability during an episode of India's Got Latent. Raina is accused of making offensive remarks about a child suffering from a rare condition on his show.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to ensure that all five accused appear before the court in the next hearing. The notice is set to be issued to Raina, who hosted the show, along with the other influencers.
The Supreme Court warned that strict action would be taken if the five do not appear for the upcoming proceedings.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Cure SMA Foundation of India. The NGO demanded regulation of social media content related to persons with disabilities and rare disorders.
The bench observed that mocking such individuals is harmful and disheartening. The court said that influencers who make fun of such vulnerable people should face punitive action to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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During the hearing, advocate Aparajita Singh, representing the NGO, said the content in question was degrading and harmful. She argued that while freedom of speech is important, it should not be misused to insult others. She urged the court to consider corrective and punitive action within the framework of the law.
The bench also discussed the need to establish guidelines for regulating social media content involving people with disabilities and rare conditions.
Several months ago, YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia was accused of making inappropriate comments about parents on India's Got Latent. A complaint was filed against him and others involved with the show.
In the ongoing case, the NGO accused Raina of mocking a blind infant with spinal muscular atrophy during one of his stand-up comedy performances.