NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday recorded the appearance of five social media influencers, including India’s Got Latent host Samay Raina, in a case alleging they “ridiculed” individuals with disabilities, including those with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), during the comedy show.A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked all the influencers to file their responses to the petition within two weeks, cautioning that no further extensions would be granted.

The top court also made it clear that their in-person appearance at the next hearing is mandatory and failure to comply would be “viewed seriously”.An exception was granted to influencer Sonali Thakkar, also known as Sonali Aditya Desai, who was allowed to appear virtually at the next hearing due to a physical condition.The bench further directed Attorney General R Venkataramani to work on formulating social media guidelines that strike a balance between the right to freedom of speech and expression and the rights and dignity of others. The court underlined that while freedom of expression is fundamental, it cannot come at the cost of violating others’ rights. It also noted the challenge of enforcing such guidelines.The case stems from a plea filed earlier this year, alleging that the influencers mocked persons suffering from disabilities, particularly those with SMA, during an episode of their online show. On May 5, the Supreme Court had directed them to appear in person or face coercive action.