SC Orders Comedians to Host Shows Highlighting Success Stories of Disabled Persons After ‘Insensitive’ Jokes

In a significant move aimed at protecting the dignity of persons with disabilities, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed comedians Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar and Nishant Jagadish Tanwar to produce and telecast programs highlighting success stories of specially-abled individuals — particularly those suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

The direction comes as reparation for the comedians’ earlier jokes that the Court deemed insensitive and humiliating toward disabled persons.

Two Shows Per Month Mandatory

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi ordered the comedians to host at least two such awareness programs every month, even on their YouTube platforms if regular live shows are not available.

When the comedians’ counsel argued that they do not conduct shows that frequently, the bench refused to modify the order.
“This is a social burden we are putting on you,” the CJI said.

Invite Specially-Abled Achievers

The Court also allowed the comedians to invite persons with disabilities — including those mentioned by the Cure SMA Foundation — to share their achievements and raise awareness to help generate funds for treatment.

Petition Based on Indecent Remarks

The directions were issued in a plea filed by Cure SMA Foundation, which objected to a derogatory joke made by Samay Raina about a child with SMA. Earlier, the Court had summoned the comedians and directed them to publish public apologies.

Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, representing the foundation, highlighted inspiring examples of SMA survivors who have excelled in life — including individuals working at Microsoft, studying at Michigan State University, working as a writer, classical singer, or pursuing a PhD in Bioinformatics.

She stressed that fundraising becomes extremely difficult when public figures normalise making fun of disabled persons.

Court Suggests Stronger Laws

In a sharp remark, CJI Kant suggested that Parliament consider a “stringent law” similar to the SC/ST Act for offences that demean disabled persons.

“Why don’t you think of a stringent law where humiliating jokes on the disabled is punishable?” he asked the Solicitor General, who agreed that humour must not come at the cost of dignity.

Bench Notes Mocking Remarks Made Abroad

The Court also cautioned the comedians about their public conduct, noting that Samay Raina had made mocking remarks about the Supreme Court in Canada.

“You need to be very careful in the future… We know all of this,” the CJI said.

Dedicated Fund for Treatment

The Court further encouraged the creation or wide publicity of a centralised corpus fund to help finance treatment for children suffering from rare diseases like SMA, inviting CSR contributions.

Next Hearing

The bench expressed hope that the comedians would host “memorable events” before the next hearing.