Supreme Court Orders Comedians Including Samay Raina To Apologize Publicly For Jokes Mocking Disabled People
The Supreme Court criticized comedians for mocking people with disabilities. Samay Raina and four others were directed to issue unconditional public apologies through their official social media platforms.
National News: The Supreme Court on Monday (August 25) reprimanded comedians for making "insensitive jokes" about the disabled. During this, the court has directed them to publicly apologize on their social media platforms. This direction was given by a bench of Justice Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi during the hearing of a petition filed by the disabled rights group SMA Cure Foundation.
According to media reports, in this petition, comedians Samay Raina, Vipun Goyal, Balraj Paramjit Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar, and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar were accused of making fun of the disabled in their stand-up content. On this, the bench told the comedians, "The apology you have made before the court, you should also make the same apology on your social media.
Respect, Not Ridicule, For All
Justice Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that humor is an essential part of life, but there is a clear line between laughing with others and laughing at them, especially when it targets marginalized communities. He highlighted that laughter should unite society, not divide it. When humor crosses the line into cruelty, it damages the dignity of individuals and spreads negativity. He warned that insensitive jokes can create a ripple effect of discrimination in daily life. The court stressed that comedians have a responsibility to use their art for awareness, not insult. Bagchi added that respect for human dignity must always remain paramount in every form of expression.
They are commercializing speech-Justice Bagchi
JDuring this, Justice Bagchi said, "Humor is taken well. But when we start laughing at others and violate sensitivities... then it becomes a problem." He said that nowadays many influential people are commercializing speech and using it not only for entertainment but also for profit. He pointed out that social media platforms amplify such insensitivity to millions, making the damage even greater. According to him, freedom of speech cannot be an excuse for monetizing cruelty. He reminded entertainers that society looks up to them and they should set the right example. The judge remarked that when popularity and money become the aim, ethics are often forgotten.
