Supreme Court Asks Comedians Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Ghai, Nishant Tanwar, and Sonali Thakkar To Apologize for Cracking Insensitive Jokes on Disabilities

The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on stand-up comedian Samay Raina for allegedly making offensive remarks against people who have disabilities. The court also directed Raina and four other comedians—Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Nishant Jagdish Tanwar, and Sonali Thakkar (also known as Sonali Aditya Desai) to issue an apology for making such remarks against them on their YouTube channels and all other social media platforms, ANI reported. The directive followed a petition filed by the Cure SMA Foundation of India, which accused the comedians of mocking individuals suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic disorder, and other disabilities during their performances.

Back in May, the Supreme Court had already cautioned the comedians, warning them to appear before the bench or face coercive action over the allegations. According to ANI, the petition claimed that certain live performances and pre-recorded videos uploaded by the comedians contained derogatory, demeaning, and insensitive content that negatively portrayed persons with disabilities. The plea stressed that such content, beyond being hurtful, spread harmful stereotypes, misrepresentations, and deepened social prejudice against disabled individuals, thereby violating their rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution.

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The Cure SMA Foundation’s petition argued that such irresponsible online dissemination fell within the scope of reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2), as it violated the dignity and rights of disabled persons. It added that these videos not only trivialized the struggles of those affected but also encouraged insensitivity and discrimination in society. ANI reported that this was not the first time comedian Samay Raina had faced judicial rebuke. Earlier in the year, Raina, along with creators Apoorva Mukhija, Ashish Chanchlani, and Ranveer Allahbadia, was named in an FIR for allegedly circulating obscene and offensive content on social media.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also addressed an unrelated matter on Monday, dismissing a plea that sought a gag order on unverified public statements in the case of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who faces a death sentence in Yemen for murder. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told petitioner K A Paul that Attorney General R Venkataramani had already assured the court that only the Indian government would issue statements regarding the sensitive case. The bench questioned the need for further restrictions, noting that unnecessary gag orders were not warranted.

During the hearing, Attorney General Venkataramani emphasized the gravity of the Nimisha Priya case, calling it a “very sensitive matter” with ongoing diplomatic negotiations. He assured the bench that no media briefings would take place while discussions with Yemen continued. The plea had sought urgent directions to the Centre to intensify efforts to commute Priya’s death sentence to life imprisonment. The petitioners argued that misleading statements in public had the potential to undermine delicate diplomatic talks, but the Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the plea after the assurance from the Attorney General.