The Supreme Court has directed stand-up comedians Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Nishant Jagdish Tanwar, and Sonali Thakkar (also known as Sonali Aditya Desai) to issue unconditional apologies on their YouTube channels and other social media platforms for allegedly making insensitive remarks about people with disabilities. The directive was issued on Monday, August 25, 2025, during a hearing of a petition filed by the SMA Cure Foundation, a disability rights group. The petition accused the comedians of mocking differently-abled people in their stand-up routines.

The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi stated that the right to freedom of speech and expression is not applicable to commercial speech that hurts the sentiments of any community. The court also indicated that it may impose penalties on the comedians for targeting persons with disabilities.

During the hearing, the court emphasized the importance of balancing rights and duties. Justice Kant remarked that Article 21, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, must take precedence over Article 19, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression. The court also stressed the need to protect the dignity of all individuals and ensure that no one misuses their words to violate the dignity of others.

The court acknowledged that humor is a part of life and that people often laugh at themselves. However, it cautioned against humor that is directed at others and creates a breach of sensibility, particularly on a community level. The court noted that social media influencers should be mindful of the impact of their words and avoid commercializing speech that hurts the sentiments of certain sections of society.

The counsel for the comedians assured the court that they would display an apology on their YouTube channels and podcasts and file affidavits confirming their compliance. The court dispensed with their personal appearance for the time being, provided they adhere to this undertaking. The question of penalty or costs will be decided at a later hearing.

The Attorney General for India, R Venkataramani, agreed to submit draft guidelines for social media regulation to the court. The court emphasized that these guidelines should not be a knee-jerk reaction but should be based on broad parameters that take into account the views of all stakeholders. The court is seeking guidelines to prevent the misuse of social media platforms to offend or ridicule disabled persons, women, children, and senior citizens.

Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, appearing for the SMA Cure Foundation, stated that "good sense has prevailed" and that all the comedians have apologized. The court observed that the degree of repentance should be higher than the degree of offense. The court also warned that any ridicule or derogatory portrayal of persons with disabilities would invite penalties under the law.