‘India’s Got Latent’ row: SC imposes Rs 3 lakh cost on Samay Raina for ‘taking court for a ride’

The Supreme Court on Tuesday imposed a Rs 3 lakh cost on comedian Samay Raina, observing that he had “taken the court for a ride” by not complying with an undertaking he had given in a case pertaining to allegedly insensitive jokes about persons with disabilities made on his show India’s Got Latent, Live Law reported.

Costs of the same amount were also imposed on four other comedians – Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Nishant Jagadish Tanwar, Sonali Thakkar and Vipul Goyal.

The order was passed after a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was informed that Raina had not invited any persons with disabilities to his show, which was among the court’s directions in the matter, Bar and Bench reported.

“We have reason to believe that Samay Raina has taken the court for a ride and has brazenly violated the orders of this court,” the bench was quoted as having observed.

In November, the court had directed the comedians to, as an act of reparation, conduct special shows to highlight the success stories of persons with disabilities. The Supreme Court had also asked them to raise funds for the treatment of persons with disabilities, especially those with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

The directions had been issued in a petition filed by Cure SMA Foundation seeking guidelines...

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