Taken Court For A Ride: SC Fines Samay Raina Rs 10 Lakh In India’s Got Latent Case

Comedian Samay Raina faced strong criticism from the Supreme Court on Tuesday after the court observed that he had failed to follow its directions in the India’s Got Latent controversy and imposed a financial penalty. The apex court said Raina had “taken the court for a ride” by making statements that were not reflected in his subsequent actions.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice JV Mohana directed Raina to pay a fine of Rs 10 lakh within two weeks , warning that further action could follow if he failed to comply. The court expressed disappointment over what it viewed as non compliance with assurances given during earlier hearings.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, appearing for the Cure SMA Foundation , told the court that Raina had continued performing shows but had not contacted the foundation or people affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) as directed. She questioned his role as a public figure, saying, “I don’t know what kind of youth icon he is. I shudder to think.”

The matter relates to episodes of India’s Got Latent streamed on YouTube in 2025 , where remarks made during the show triggered criticism for allegedly mocking people with disabilities, including those affected by SMA and visually impaired individuals. Following the controversy, the Supreme Court had directed the comedians involved to issue public apologies and follow certain conditions.

Earlier, the court had stressed that comedy and freedom of expression cannot come at the cost of the dignity of vulnerable communities. Chief Justice Surya Kant had also raised the possibility of introducing stricter legal provisions to deal with derogatory remarks targeting persons with disabilities.

In October 2025, Samay Raina along with Vipul Goyal, Sonali Thakkar, Nishant Tanwar and Balraj Ghai issued a joint statement expressing regret over the controversy and promised to be more sensitive while creating content.