Supreme Court quashes FIRs against Samay Raina, 4 others; lauds disability awareness work
The Supreme Court on Friday (August 14, 2026) quashed criminal proceedings against comedian Samay Raina and four others in connection with alleged remarks about persons with disabilities. The court, while disposing of the matter, appreciated the efforts made by the influencers in spreading awareness and promoting the dignity of disabled individuals.
Besides Mr. Raina, the apex court quashed the FIRs and criminal proceedings against Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar, and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana observed that the five influencers have made genuine efforts to organise a chess tournament in March for disabled persons and helped raise awareness about organisations working for persons with disabilities, including those supporting individuals with rare diseases such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
"Once there are genuine efforts, positive results are bound to be there," the Bench stated. It further observed that they are "very bright youngsters" and that their work in a positive direction would yield positive results.
The court was hearing pleas, including one filed by M/s SMA Cure Foundation, a non-profit working for individuals affected by SMA. The foundation had flagged jokes made by Mr. Raina, host of "India's Got Latent", and other social media influencers – Mr. Goyal, Mr. Ghai, Ms. Thakkar, and Mr. Tanwar.
During the hearing, senior advocate Aparajita Singh, appearing for the foundation, said that following the court's earlier strong stand in the matter, the influencers have made genuine efforts and engaged with the foundation. "This matter was going nowhere till this court took a very strong stand last time," she said.
The Bench said the proceedings against the five influencers stand closed. However, it noted that it would consider the larger issue concerning the need for comprehensive directions to protect the dignity of disabled persons.
Chief Justice Kant also shared his experience of interacting with a delegation of persons with disabilities on Thursday (August 13, 2026). "It was quite a learning and an eye-opener for us also," he said. "We have requested them to send their suggestions also. It was quite a satisfying experience what we saw yesterday and what we interacted," he added.
The delegation comprised 20 people from different fields, including paralympian Nidhi Mishra, Ankur Dhama, Major D.P. Singh, and Chhonzin Angmo.
The Bench further noted that the influencers have engaged in effective conversation with the foundation and are willing to invite persons suffering from SMA to their shows. It said more fundraising shows were scheduled to be held.
In November last year, Mr. Raina and the others had volunteered before the apex court to organise at least two events each month, either in person or online, to raise funds for a corpus created to provide financial aid and assistance for persons suffering from SMA.
The apex court's decision brings closure to the proceedings against the five influencers, while the larger question of safeguarding the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities remains under consideration.
