During the proceedings, the Supreme Court remarked that Samay Raina had "brazenly violated" its previous orders. The bench stated, "We believe Samay Raina has taken court for a ride, brazenly violated our orders. If you don't know how to mend your ways or respect the sentiments of the society members then you have to face consequences."
After Raina's lawyer appealed for leniency and requested one final chance, the court agreed to reduce the fine from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. However, it made it clear that failure to satisfy the court at the next hearing would result in a substantially higher penalty of Rs 30 lakh.
The bench also rejected the explanation offered regarding compliance with its previous directions. It observed that the alleged misconduct was sought to be justified by claiming that a compliance affidavit had been filed a day earlier, whereas no such affidavit had actually been submitted. "The misconduct is sought to be compounded by stating that a compliance affidavit was filed yesterday, however, no affidavit has been filed," the bench said.
The Chief Justice further remarked that some individuals believe they are beyond the reach of Indian courts while staying abroad. "We think sitting outside the country they are beyond jurisdiction. Let them suffer now. If this is not arrogance, then we have to change the Oxford dictionary also," the Chief Justice observed.
The matter arose from a petition filed by Cure SMA India Foundation, which alleged that Samay Raina had made insensitive remarks regarding the high cost of treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and had also allegedly ridiculed a person suffering from the disability. The petition also referred to jokes made by the host of "India's Got Latent" and other social media influencers, including Vipun Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar, and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar.
The case relates to the Supreme Court's earlier directions issued last year, under which Samay Raina had been instructed to host monthly fundraising shows on his platforms featuring specially abled individuals with inspiring stories. At that time, Chief Justice Surya Kant had clarified that the direction was intended as a social responsibility rather than a punishment. "It's a social burden we are putting on you, not a penal burden. You are well-placed persons in society. If you have become too popular, then share it with others," the Chief Justice had said during the earlier hearing.
Appearing for Cure SMA Foundation, advocate Aparajita Singh objected to the continued use of the term "disabled" instead of "specially abled" during Raina's shows. She informed the court that although certain events had been organized, the Foundation had never been contacted despite explicit judicial directions.
"I don't know what kind of youth icon he is... I shudder to think. There is a genuine lack of apology from Samay Raina," Aparajita Singh told the court. She further stated that the Foundation no longer wished to associate itself with what she described as an "egoistic and arrogant person."
Responding on behalf of Samay Raina, his lawyer submitted that the Foundation had not been approached because its address was unavailable. "The specially abled people were called and photos are there. But if Ms Aparajita Singh's client was not reached out then it is unfortunate. We will prevail over our client and have it done," the counsel told the court.
The Supreme Court's observations and financial penalty underscore its firm stance on enforcing judicial orders and ensuring compliance with directions intended to promote dignity, inclusion, and sensitivity toward specially abled individuals. The court has now placed Samay Raina on notice, making it clear that continued non-compliance could invite significantly stricter consequences at the next hearing.
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