Overview

• Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi directed Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj P. S. Ghai, Sonali Thakkar and Nishant J. Tanwar to publish unconditional apologies on their YouTube channels, podcasts and other platforms.
• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was tasked with drafting consultative guidelines on online language to protect dignity, with input from the NBDSA and other stakeholders and an emphasis on broad, forward-looking parameters.
• The court said freedom of expression cannot override the right to dignity, underscoring that commercialised speech carries responsibilities and may attract proportionate consequences.
• Penalties or costs will be considered at a later stage, and personal appearances were dispensed with for now subject to compliance and filing of affidavits outlining steps, including awareness efforts on disability rights.
• The case stems from a Cure SMA Foundation petition citing videos that ridiculed persons with disabilities, and it is being heard alongside related petitions by Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani over the India’s Got Latent controversy.