The Supreme Court has sent notices to comedians Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, and three others after an NGO filed a complaint against them. The complaint says they made jokes that insult people with disabilities.This comes almost two months after Samay Raina faced backlash over his "India's Got Latent" video. Now, on May 5, he's in trouble again over this new issue.
The Supreme Court has directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to issue notices to five individuals, including comedian Samay Raina, to ensure they attend the next court hearing. The court warned that if they fail to appear, strict actions will be taken against them.
Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh stressed the importance of ensuring that the right to free speech is not misused to spread hate or demean others. Justice Kant remarked, "We know how to curtail such freedom when it is used to harm or degrade individuals under the guise of speech."
This follows a petition by an NGO accusing the comedians of making insensitive jokes mocking people with disabilities, which has led to legal action.
FIR filed again: Reason
According to Live Law, the top Court expressed serious concerns about the growing influence of social media influencers and the harm their actions could cause. The petition pointed out that the alleged behaviour of Samay Raina, Vipun Goyal, and the others is "damaging" and "demoralizing" for vulnerable groups, particularly those with disabilities.
The court stressed the importance of holding such individuals accountable. Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh highlighted the potential harm caused by mocking vulnerable communities and emphasized the need for both “remedial and punitive action” in the case.
Justice Kant remarked, “This is very, very damaging and demoralizing. There are laws in place to bring these people into the mainstream, but one incident like this can undo all that effort.” The court urged senior advocate Aprajita Singh, who represented the NGO, to consider appropriate legal actions against those involved.