The Supreme Court on Monday ordered comedian Samay Raina and four other comedians to issue public apologies on YouTube and other platforms for making insensitive remarks against persons with disabilities. The Bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, also asked the comedians to respond to the suggestion of using their platforms to create awareness about challenges faced by persons with disabilities.

During the hearing, it was informed that Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar (also known as Sonali Aditya Desai), and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar had already submitted their apologies in court. Justice Surya Kant noted that Raina initially attempted to present himself as innocent before offering an apology, adding, “Today, it is disabled, tomorrow something else. How will the society be affected… where will all this end?”

The case was filed by Cure SMA India Foundation, which accused Raina of making insensitive comments about the high cost of treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and ridiculing a person with the condition. The petition also called for regulations on online content that violates the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.

Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, representing the petitioner, suggested that the comedians should use their influence to spread awareness about disability issues, emphasizing that “what these influencers say matters.” The Supreme Court asked the comedians to respond to this suggestion, while clarifying that the determination of any cost or penalty would be addressed at a later stage.