The Supreme Court has brought an end to the criminal proceedings against comedian Samay Raina and four others over controversial remarks concerning persons with disabilities, after noting their efforts to comply with earlier directions.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and JV Mohana passed the order on Friday, taking note of the steps undertaken by Raina and the other respondents following the court's earlier intervention.
The cases stemmed from remarks made on the controversial comedy show “India’s Got Latent”, where Raina and other participants faced allegations of making insensitive comments about people with disabilities.
The Supreme Court had previously criticised the nature of the jokes and directed Raina and the other individuals involved to undertake initiatives aimed at creating awareness about disability and supporting people with disabilities.
At an earlier hearing, the court had also imposed a cost of Rs 3 lakh on Raina and the four others after observing that undertakings given to the court had not initially been followed properly.
On Friday, however, the bench took note of the subsequent efforts made by the group, including organising shows aimed at benefiting persons with disabilities.
The judges observed that sincere efforts in a positive direction could produce meaningful results.
After considering the compliance shown by Raina and the others, the court proceeded to quash the criminal cases registered over the alleged insensitive remarks.
The order effectively brings the proceedings arising from the controversy to an end.
The court also acknowledged the potential of the young performers to channel their influence towards constructive causes.
The proceedings were triggered by a petition filed by Cure SMA India Foundation before the Supreme Court.
The organisation raised concerns over remarks allegedly made by Raina about the cost of treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and comments concerning a person living with the condition.
The petition also referred to other individuals associated with the episode, including social media personalities Vipun Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar.
The episode at the centre of the controversy was recorded in November and subsequently became the subject of several complaints and criminal cases.
Raina, who hosted India’s Got Latent, and other comedians and influencers faced legal action over allegations relating to obscene and offensive remarks made during the programme.
The controversy eventually reached the Supreme Court, which sought corrective action rather than simply allowing the matter to proceed as a conventional criminal case.
The court's latest decision marks a significant change from its earlier criticism of Raina.
While the bench had previously expressed displeasure over the comedian's conduct and compliance with his commitments, it ultimately recognised the steps taken by him and the other respondents to work towards disability awareness and support.
With the FIRs now quashed, Raina and the four others no longer face the criminal proceedings arising from the remarks covered by the Supreme Court's order.
The case also highlights the court's emphasis on turning a controversial episode into an opportunity for greater awareness and support for people with disabilities.
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