Samay Raina, other influencers appear in SC over remarks ‘ridiculing’ disabled

Five social media influencers, including Samay Raina, appeared before the Supreme Court over a plea accusing them of mocking people with disabilities. The court sought their replies in two weeks and stressed the need for enforceable social media guidelines

New Delhi: Five social media influencers, including “India’s Got Latent” host Samay Raina, on Tuesday appeared before the Supreme Court in a case seeking action against them for ridiculing persons suffering from disabilities.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi recorded the presence of the social media influencers and asked them to file their replies to the petition. It also asked them to appear again in-person on the next date of hearing of the case.

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The top court, however, granted exemption to influencer Sonali Thakkar alias Sonali Aditya Desai to appear virtually on the next date of hearing due to some physical condition. The bench said the social media influencers will have to file their replies in two weeks and no further extension will be granted to them and that their absence on the next date of hearing will be viewed seriously.

The top court asked Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, to prepare social media guidelines by keeping balance of freedom of speech and expression and rights and duties of the others. It said that freedom of one person should not violate the rights of others and flagged that enforceability of these guidelines is the most difficult part.

On May 5, the top court directed the five social media influencers, to appear before it or face coercive action after a plea alleged that they ridiculed persons suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare disorder, and also those suffering from other disabilities on their show.