Supreme Court asks Samay Raina to generate funds for specially abled and share inspiring stories

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has asked comedian Samay Raina, along with three other stand-up artists, to host regular shows showcasing the inspiring stories of persons with disabilities — mandating that they use their reach to raise funds and foster awareness, following criticism of their previous remarks.

The directive comes as part of a plea filed by the advocacy group Cure SMA Foundation, which raised concerns over insensitive jokes made by the comedians on disability-related issues. While earlier hearings had asked them to issue public apologies, the latest order goes beyond correction: the court now expects socially constructive action.

As per LiveLaw, the plea said, “We are a charitable trust, run by the parents of the affected disabled...in one of the programmes of Samay Raina, the children were ridiculed....mylords may see.”

Chief Justice Surya Kant made it clear the goal was not to punish the comedians but to place a “social burden” on them, leveraging their popularity for positive change. “You are all well-placed persons in society … If you have become too popular, then share it with others,” he said.

Under the new arrangement, the comedians must invite specially-abled individuals who have inspiring success stories — whether in sports, academics, arts, or other fields — onto their platforms. They must also organize events or shows at least twice a month to raise funds for treatment of persons with disabilities, including those with rare conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Samay Raina's show, India's Got Latent, landed in controversy primarily due to vulgar and obscene remarks made by a guest, Ranveer Allahbadia, as well as separate instances of insensitive jokes about people with disabilities.