The Supreme Court of India has quashed all criminal cases and FIRs against popular stand up comedian Samay Raina and four other performers. The relief also extends to fellow comedians Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar, and Nishant Tanwar.
The controversy began when jokes made during an episode of the online show India Got Latent sparked outrage for being insensitive towards persons with disabilities, especially those battling rare conditions like Spinal Muscular Atrophy SMA. Following public backlash, an NGO named Cure SMA India Foundation approached the apex court against the offensive remarks.
A three judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant closed the matter after observing that the comedians took real steps to correct their mistakes. The top court praised them for working closely with the disability community, holding awareness drives, and organising a special chess tournament in Pune to raise funds for SMA patients. Calling them very bright youngsters, the judges noted that genuine efforts bring positive results.
While all criminal proceedings against the five creators have been completely dropped, the Supreme Court clarified that it will continue looking into the larger issue. The bench plans to frame comprehensive guidelines to prevent online content from hurting the dignity of differently abled people.
