Court Demands Comedians Apologize for Disability Jokes

On August 25th, 2025, the Supreme Court of India delivered a significant ruling, ordering several comedians, including Samay Raina, to publish apologies on their YouTube and social media channels for making insensitive jokes that mocked persons with disabilities.

The court's decision came in response to a petition filed by the Cure SMA Foundation of India against the comedians. The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, emphasized that while humor is a part of life, it becomes problematic when it is used to "laugh at others and create a breach of sensitivity."

The court ruled that the right to freedom of speech and expression "can't apply just like that on commercial speech" when it hurts the sentiments of a community. The judges noted that when individuals "are commercializing speech," they cannot use a community to hurt their sentiments.

Furthermore, the apex court has asked the Center to frame guidelines for social media influencers and comedians. The Attorney General, R Venkataramani, agreed to place a draft of the proposed guidelines on record, though he cautioned that there cannot be a complete gag. The bench stressed that these guidelines must be forward-looking, not merely a reaction to a single incident, and should be broad-based to address future challenges.