The Supreme Court of India has expressed its deep disquiet over jokes by comedian Samay Raina which allegedly mocked blind individuals and an infant suffering from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a condition for which a life-saving injection costing ₹16 lakh was required.
The Supreme Court declared itself “really disturbed” by such material, and has taken a stern view of the matter.
Raina is already embroiled in controversy following remarks made by fellow comedian Ranveer Allahbadia on his show, India’s Got Latent, concerning parents and sex.
“We are really disturbed by the allegations. We place such instances on record… implead the concerned persons… suggest measures. Then we will see,” Justice Surya Kant said.
The direction came after an intervention application by the Cure SMA Foundation of India, which has also asked the court to consider the exorbitant prices of drugs to treat the condition.
These drugs include Zolgensma, a one-time gene therapy that reportedly costs ₹16 crore.
The petitioner highlighted that the exorbitant cost of certain medicines places them far beyond the reach of most Indians, with millions lacking regular access to essential drugs despite India’s status as a major producer of generics.
As a result, out-of-pocket spending on healthcare—especially on medicines—remains the primary burden for households, often forcing families into poverty.
In such circumstances, public fundraising or crowdsourcing becomes the only viable option for many, particularly the poor, to afford life-saving treatments.
It was this reality that Raina was perceived to have mocked, drawing concern from the petitioner.
On 15 April, comedian Samay Raina and podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia on Tuesday appeared before Maharashtra Cyber office in Mumbai and recorded their statements in connection with the case filed against them for allegedly promoting obscenity and vulgar c
