Supreme Court, has punished popular YouTuber and comedian Samay Raina and four of his friends. The court ordered each of them to pay a fine of Rs 3 lakh (300,000 rupees) because they broke direct promises they made to the judges.
The trouble started because Raina made mean jokes on his comedy show about people with disabilities. The judges told him how to fix his mistake, but he didn’t follow the rules.
“We have reason to believe that Samay Raina has taken the court for a ride and has brazenly violated the orders of this court,” the Bench observed as per a report by Bar and Bench. “The misconduct is further compounded stating that an affidavit is filed when nothing is on record. Thus we impose cost of Rs 3 lakh to be deposited within 2 weeks.”
What Did Samay Raina Do Wrong?
The legal action stems from a petition filed by the Cure SMA India Foundation. The organisation accused Raina of mocking the high costs associated with treating Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare condition where treatment can cost up to Rs 16 crore and ridiculing a person living with the condition. The petition seeks broader regulatory frameworks for online broadcasts to protect the dignity and fundamental rights of disabled individuals under Article 21 of the Constitution.
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, representing the petitioner, informed the Bench that Raina had made no attempt to contact the foundation or invite specially-abled individuals to participate.
Why is he being fined now?
The Supreme Court stepped in because Samay Raina and his team completely ignored the rules they were given and tried to cut corners.
Here are the main reasons the judges decided to punish them:
Ignoring the Main Order: The biggest issue was that Raina completely failed to invite any specially-abled people or representatives from the Cure SMA India Foundation onto his show. He essentially ignored the court’s core requirement for inclusivity.
Misleading the Court: Making things worse, the defence claimed they had filed an official affidavit (a formal, sworn statement) proving they followed the rules. However, when the judges checked the official records, nothing was there. The court called them out for trying to trick the system.
While Raina’s legal counsel argued that the comedian had raised Rs 9 lakh for disability causes through his shows, the argument was quickly dismissed by both the petitioners and the Bench.
“We do not want any money from them,” Singh countered.
Justice Bagchi directly challenged the defence’s stance, questioning the exploitation of vulnerable groups for online traction.
“You should have invited the client of Ms Aparajita Singh and done the show. Now you are giving the sense that you are trying to buy them out. If you used their disability to showcase your fundamental right to have commercial speech… ” Justice Bagchi stated.
“What about their fundamental right to dignity?” the CJI added, emphasising that public figures must trade in respect, not just material gain.
The final warning: Follow the rules or pay more
The court originally wanted to fine Raina a massive Rs 10 lakh, but they lowered it to Rs 3 lakh as a final warning because he is young.
However, the judges told him he has exactly two weeks to pay the money and fix his show. If he breaks the rules again, the fine will jump from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.
