'Taken Court For Ride, Brazen Violation’: SC Raps Comedian Samay Raina; Imposes Rs 3 Lakh Cost

 

 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up comedian Samay Raina for "taking the court for a ride" and imposed a Rs 3-lakh cost on him after he failed to honour undertakings in proceedings linked to India’s Got Latent controversy over insensitive jokes targeting persons with disabilities.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana passed the order after it was informed that Raina had not invited any disabled persons to his show despite its earlier order.

Senior advocate Aparajita Singh submitted that despite the court's earlier directions, Raina had neither contacted the Cure SMA Foundation nor persons suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Singh added, "We find it distasteful to go for his show. This is a lack of respect, and there is no genuine apology...your lordships told us we should engage, and we did it. And, this is the way he is treating the people who are already suffering so much in life. I do not know what kind of icon he is for the youth”. The CJI said they are self-styled icons and added, “so many gurus, so many…”.

 

The bench said that Raina, one of the respondents, had taken the court for a ride and "he is in brazen violation of statements/undertakings given before this court."

The bench observed that misconduct was further compounded by making a statement that an affidavit of compliance was filed yesterday, whereas no such affidavit is on record. The bench imposed a cost of Rs 10 Lakh on him and directed him to deposit with the court’s registry within two weeks, and if the cost is not deposited, then coercive action will be taken against the person in default.

 

However, at the end of the hearing, the bench reduced the cost to Rs 3 Lakh, which would have to be deposited within two weeks and granted him 15 days to file a compliance affidavit.

The bench also imposed the same cost on four other comedians: Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar, and Nishant Jagadish Tanwar.

 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that Raina was hosting a new show (India's Got Latent Season 2), which he began by hanging "nimbu-mirchi" (apparently to protect it from bad fortune).

The CJI stressed the importance of public conduct, saying that in public life, the more respect you show others, the more respect you earn. “You don't humiliate people,” said the CJI.

Comedians' counsel contended that the failure to contact the SMA Foundation was not out of ego and assured the bench that they would impress upon their clients to comply.