The Supreme Court of India has dismissed criminal cases against popular digital content creators, including Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina, following controversial remarks made on the show India’s Got Latent. The decision was rendered by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
In addition to Allahbadia and Raina, the court’s judgment also extends relief to Ashish Chanchlani and four other comedians: Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar alias Sonali Aditya Desai, and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar. The court acknowledged the efforts made by these individuals in organizing beneficial events for persons with disabilities.
“When genuine efforts are made, positive results are inevitable,” noted the bench. The court quashed the criminal cases against Raina, Goyal, Ghai, Thakkar, and Tanwar that concerned insensitive remarks made during the show about people with disabilities.
Regarding Allahbadia and Chanchlani, the court also decided to close the cases involving obscene comments during the controversial episode of India’s Got Latent. The court found that continuing these proceedings would not serve any purpose under the specific circumstances of the case.
The court had previously indicated an intention to address broader issues related to content regulation on internet platforms. However, it decided that such considerations were better suited for a different case. The court emphasized that appropriate executive authorities could still take necessary legal steps regarding these broader issues.
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The problematic episode was filmed on November 14, 2024, but aired later, leading to multiple criminal charges against those involved. Allahbadia and Chanchlani had sought relief from the Supreme Court to dismiss the FIRs filed against them, which granted them interim protection from arrest pending a final decision on their petitions.
Meanwhile, an NGO, Cure SMA India Foundation, filed a plea against Raina and others for making insensitive remarks about the high costs of treating Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). The court had instructed Raina and others to organize events to raise funds for people with disabilities. However, the NGO later claimed that Raina had not followed through, which led to additional costs being imposed on him.
Raina’s counsel reported that funds were raised through events and that efforts were made to involve people with disabilities in these events. The court acknowledged these efforts and appreciated the constructive dialogues between the respondents and the petitioners.
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Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh represented the Cure SMA India Foundation, while Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan, among others, represented Samay Raina.
