A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana passed the order while hearing a petition filed by the Cure SMA India Foundation. The organisation had accused Raina of making insensitive comments about the high cost of treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and allegedly mocking a person living with the condition.
The petition also sought regulations for online content that allegedly violates the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities.
Court Says Earlier Directions Were Not Followed
During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel informed the court that Raina had failed to invite persons with disabilities to participate in his comedy shows, despite a previous direction requiring him to do so.
The Bench observed that Raina appeared to have disregarded the court's orders.
"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 misconduct is further compounded stating that an affidavit is filed when nothing is on record. Thus, we impose a cost of ₹3 lakh to be deposited within two weeks," the court said, according to a Bar and Bench report.
What Happened in Court
Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that neither Raina nor his team had contacted the foundation or any persons with disabilities to participate in the shows.
In response, Raina's counsel stated that the comedy events had raised ₹9 lakh for the welfare of persons with disabilities.
However, the petitioner's counsel replied, "We do not want any money from them."
The Bench questioned the approach, observing that raising funds alone did not amount to complying with its earlier directions.
"You should have invited the client of Ms Aparajita Singh and done the show. Now you are giving the sense that you are trying to buy them out. If you used their disability to showcase your fundamental right to have commercial speech, what about their fundamental right to dignity?" the court remarked.
Earlier Directions and Fresh Warning
In November 2025, the Supreme Court had directed Raina and the other comedians involved in the case to organise at least two fundraising events every month for a corpus supporting the treatment of persons with disabilities. They were also instructed to encourage specially-abled individuals to participate in these programmes.
While the Bench initially considered imposing a penalty of ₹10 lakh per person, it ultimately reduced the amount to ₹3 lakh each. The court also instructed all five individuals to strictly comply with its previous directions.
Warning of stricter action in case of further violations, the Bench said that failure to comply would result in the penalty being increased to ₹30 lakh per person.
