India's Got Latent row: Supreme Court summons Samay Raina, 4 others over alleged mockery of disabled persons

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the appearance of five influencers, including comedian Samay Raina, in connection with a petition filed by an NGO accusing them of mocking individuals with disabilities and rare disorders.
The summons follows months of controversy surrounding an episode of Raina-led comedy show India's Got Latent, which sparked debate over the limits of free speech and the boundaries of satire.
As reported by Live Law, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to serve notices to the five individuals, ensuring their presence at the next hearing.
The court warned that coercive action would be taken if they fail to appear.
The court requested support from Attorney General R Venkataramani regarding the public interest litigation filed by 'Cure SMA Foundation of India'. The NGO seeks directives on controlling social media content about disabled individuals and those with rare conditions.
The justices condemned such ridicule as "damaging" and "demoralising", specifying the need for strict corrective and disciplinary measures to prevent future occurrences.
"This is very, very damaging and demoralising. There are statutes which try to bring these people into the mainstream, and with one incident, the entire effort goes. You should think of some remedial and punitive action within the law," the bench advised senior advocate Aprajita Singh, who represented the NGO.
The top court noted that whilst freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right, it has limitations. The bench considered establishing guidelines for social media content regarding disabled persons and those with rare disorders, stating that no one should be permitted to belittle others under the pretext of this right.
The NGO highlighted gaps in current legal structures and requested the court to establish guidelines for online content.