Samay Raina and four fellow comedians saw all pending First Information Reports (FIRs) against them quashed by the Supreme Court on Friday. The legal proceedings had originated from allegations of insensitive jokes regarding persons with disabilities during an episode of Raina’s online show, ‘India’s Got Latent’.
Bench praises comedians’ reformative efforts
A Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, passed the order after confirming that the group had strictly complied with prior judicial directions. To make amends, the artists were tasked with conducting awareness programs and actively raising funds for the welfare of persons with disabilities.
Commending the success of these initiatives, the apex court lauded the comedians for taking constructive steps to rectify their past actions.
“Once there are genuine efforts, positive results are bound to be there. They are very bright youngsters. If they have started working in a positive direction, there will be positive output,” the Bench observed.
Full legal relief extended to entire group
The ruling brings a complete halt to all ongoing criminal proceedings tied to the show. Alongside Raina, the Supreme Court granted full relief to:
Vipul Goyal
Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai
Sonali Thakkar (alias Sonali Aditya Desai)
Nishant Jagdish Tanwar
Directing the closure of the criminal matter against the individuals, the Court stated:
“Matter qua respondents 6–10 (the accused comedians) is closed. Criminal proceedings against respondents 6–10 are hereby quashed. All other related proceedings are set aside.”
Supreme court retains case to address broader issues
While the five comedians have been fully cleared of all criminal liabilities, the Supreme Court emphasised that the broader legal petition will remain open.
The top court intends to continue hearing the matter to examine structural issues, gather recommendations from representatives of the disability community, and establish comprehensive guidelines to ensure greater sensitivity and oversight in digital content going forward.
Assam CM acknowledges Samay Raina’s relief donation
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently expressed gratitude to stand-up comedian Samay Raina for his contribution to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter) alongside the RTGS transaction advice, the Assam Chief Minister’s Office wrote, “HCM Dr @himantabiswa acknowledges the contribution of 10 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund by Shri Samay Raina.”
The gesture follows a controversial episode in 2025, when an instalment of Raina’s show India’s Got Latent sparked a police case in Assam involving him, popular YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, and others over allegations of vulgarity and sexually explicit content. Following a brief hiatus from digital creation after the incident, Raina has since returned with the second season of India’s Got Latent, streaming on both Netflix and YouTube.
Bureau Report
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