"Really Disturbed": Supreme Court Pulls Up Comic Samay Raina Over Jokes On Blindness, SMA Infant-In Fresh Trouble
New Delhi, April 21, 2025 –
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed strong displeasure over comedian Samay Raina’s remarks during a stand-up performance, which allegedly mocked blind individuals and a two-month-old infant with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) — a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder.
Raina, already under scrutiny for his involvement in Ranveer Allahbadia’s controversial ‘India’s Got Latent’ comedy special, has now been impleaded in the ongoing case being heard by the top court.
“We are really disturbed by the allegations… we place such instances on record,” Justice Surya Kant said, as the bench accepted a petition filed by Cure SMA Foundation of India, which sought redress against insensitive content targeting people with disabilities.
The court was responding to an intervention application by the Cure SMA Foundation, which highlighted a segment from Raina’s performance where he referenced a real-life case of a two-month-old infant requiring a Rs 16 crore injection (Zolgensma) for treatment.
During the performance, Raina said:
“A two-month-old baby requires a ₹16 crore injection… Ma’am, if you were that mother and ₹16 crore suddenly appeared in your account, wouldn’t you look at your husband and say, ‘Hmm… inflation is rising’?”
He also allegedly mocked a visually impaired audience member, asking, “Which of your eyes should I look into?”
The foundation argued such statements amount to ableist and derogatory content, and urged the apex court to direct the government to introduce regulatory safeguards under the digital content framework.
The Cure SMA Foundation is not just calling for accountability. Its plea includes:
The petition stressed that free speech should not come at the cost of dignity, especially for vulnerable sections of society.
This development adds to the growing controversy around comedians and online content creators facing judicial scrutiny. Raina’s inclusion in the case marks an escalation in a broader debate about the boundaries of satire, freedom of expression, and sensitivity in public discourse.
The court is expected to revisit the case soon, as public outcry grows louder on both sides — defenders of comedy and advocates for responsible speech.
Samay Raina, Ranveer Allahbadia, Supreme Court, India’s Got Latent, SMA Cure Foundation, spinal muscular atrophy, stand-up comedy controversy, free speech vs hate speech, Indian judiciary, disability rights, online content regulation, SC hearing on comedians, Zolgensma price, Satire boundaries
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