New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the stand-up comedian Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjit Singh Gai, and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar to appear personally on the next date of hearing on their alleged insensitive comment against the disabled.
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Joymlya Bagchi, also known as Comedian Sonali Thakar, also known as Sonali Aditya Desai, was actually allowed to appear during the next hearing.
The apex court registered the presence of Raina, Goyal, Tanwar, Ghai and Thakkar and directed them to file their reply for the petition within two weeks.
They all appeared before the apex court today as per the earlier order of the court.
The bench made it clear that no expansion would be given beyond this period and warned that any absence on the next date of hearing would be seriously seen.
The apex court told Attorney General R Venkatarmani, representing the Center, to formulate social media directions by representing the Center, freedom of speech and expression and balanced the rights and duties of others.
Venkatarmani sought time to assist the court on the issue and said the provisions of the guidelines would require a detailed consideration.
The bench said, “What we are doing is that you have to make sure that no word is misused.
#Watch Delhi | Comedian Samay Raina arrives in the Supreme Court, who appears in the court in a case related to the alleged mockery of persons with disabilities. pic.twitter.com/yfjcddxq6c– Annie (@ani) July 15, 2025
The apex court had heard a petition filed by the M/S Cure SMA Foundation, demanding prohibition on the broadcast of derogatory and infamous content on digital media against individuals with disabilities. This demanded the construction of guidelines to protect the rights and dignity of individuals with disabilities in terms of broadcasting of online materials.
On May 5, the bench had called the comedian to come to light or faced tremendous action after the petition, he alleged that he had ridiculed the SMA, a rare disorder suffering from a rare disorder, and was also suffering from other disabled people on his show.
The apex court also issued notice to the Union of India through information and broadcasting, electronics and information technology, social justice and empowerment, and news broadcasters and digital associations, and Indian broadcasting and digital Foundation ministries.
The NGO brought the court notice to broadcast some online content, media and programs, which are disabled, aggressive, malicious, competent or trusting for disability, or their diseases, or their treatment options.
The petitioner was also suffering from lack of any clear statutory guidelines to adequately regulate the broadcast of such online materials, which violates the life and right to dignity of disabled persons, transferring free speech and right to expression.
It asked the court to put a positive responsibility on both the government and private actors to adopt a unique standard of representation of persons with disabilities in the online domain.
The NGO accused Raina of such conditions, high -cost drugs and treatment options for treatment of spinal muscles, accused of insensitive comments on individuals and also accused of ridiculing a person with disability.
This marked a video where he commented on persons with disabilities.
The petition stated that these comedians are public figures and follow millions of spectators/users on various social media middlemen.
The petitioner said, “The petitioners are concerned with some live and pre-recorded events of these individuals, due to their aggressive, slander and repair of representatives of persons with disabilities,” the petition said.
“These videos have violated the widespread irresponsible, insensitive and violation of such online materials, which violates individuals with disabilities under Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India, which affects aggressive stereotyps and misleading illustrations against them, and with them affecting their social participation and influenced by them.
