New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 14) imposed a cost of Rs 3 lakh on comedian Samay Raina, recording displeasure over Raina’s failure to comply with its earlier directions to use their platform to host persons with disabilities on his digital platforms, and raise awareness and funds for children suffering from rare disorders, saying he had “taken the Court for a ride”.The directions had arisen out of the controversy over insensitive jokes targeting persons with disabilities on Raina’s show India’s Got Latent. The court has also imposed the same cost on four other comedians Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar and Nishant Jagadish Tanwar.The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana has granted him 15 days to file a compliance affidavit, warning that upon failure, the costs would be enhanced to Rs 30 lakh. “We have no reason to doubt that Samay Raina has taken the court for a ride. He is in brazen violation of statements/undertakings given before this court,” the bench observed.In a previous hearing, the top court had accepted their undertakings that they would make amendments for their insensitive jokes by conducting special shows to showcase the achievements of persons with disabilities twice a month, and generate funds for the treatments of children with rare disorders.However, senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, appearing for the Cure SMA Foundation, submitted that while Raina had resumed performing shows, he had neither contacted the Foundation nor involved persons living with SMA as contemplated by the court’s earlier directions.‘What about their fundamental right?’Justice Bagchi observed that Raina, by inviting a few persons with disabilities after the controversy, gave the impression that he was trying to “buy them out”, Supreme Court Observer reported.“If you used their disability to showcase your fundamental right to have commercial speech,” he remarked, prompting CJI Surya Kant to ask, “What about their fundamental right to dignity?”Raina’s counsel submitted that persons with disabilities had attended the shows; photographs had been produced. However, he said, if the Foundation had not been contacted, it was “unfortunate”, and assured the bench that the omission would be rectified.‘Self-proclaimed icon’The senior counsel contended that the comedian’s approach was reflective of his disregard for the Supreme Court’s order, adding that the Foundation did not want even a single penny from Raina (or other comedians), LiveLaw reported.Aparajita Singh described the conduct as one driven by “ego and arrogance”. “People like Samay Raina are apparently a youth icon. I shudder to think so,” she said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta added, “Our youth have better icons.”The CJI then commented saying they are “self-proclaimed icons.”On renewal of the showMehta further spoke about Raina’s new show – India’s Got Latent Season 2 – on Netflix. “Recently, he started a new show. He said now at the beginning, I am doing something which I didn’t do in the last series. He hangs nimbu and mirchi. He did not name anyone, but it was quite visible. I did not want to go into it but if he (Raina) has not contacted SMA Foundation/persons suffering from SMA,” the solicitor general noted, as reported by LiveLaw.The comedians’ counsel submitted that the failure to comply was not out of ego and assured the court that they would impress upon their clients to comply. The CJI, however, took a negative note of their conduct.“They 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,” said CJI Kant.