"I support Mohak Mangal," says Samay Raina to ANI reporter outside SC amid disability mockery case
New Delhi: Popular stand-up comedian Samay Raina, while appearing before the Supreme Court in a case related to allegedly mocking persons with disabilities, made a brief yet pointed remark that has drawn wide attention: “I support Mohak Mangal.”
The comment came in response to a reporter from ANI who asked Raina if he wished to say anything about the case. Avoiding direct remarks about the allegations, Raina instead chose to express solidarity with YouTuber and policy educator Mohak Mangal, who recently accused ANI of extortion disguised as copyright enforcement.
Raina’s appearance at Courtroom 2 of the Supreme Court was part of ongoing proceedings against him and four other social media influencers, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar alias Sonali Aditya Desai, and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar, for allegedly ridiculing individuals with disabilities, including those with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and blindness. The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, recorded their presence and directed them to file replies within two weeks, warning that no further extension would be granted. Sonali Thakkar was allowed to appear virtually due to a physical condition.
When pressed further by the media about the case, Raina responded, “Wahin kahenge na, aapko thode hi kahenge,” signaling that he would address the matter only in court. His lawyer then escorted him inside, urging journalists to respect the proceedings.
In a separate controversy, YouTuber Mohak Mangal had accused ANI of issuing multiple copyright strikes on his channel and then demanding ₹45–50 lakh to remove them. Mangal had said the strikes, some of which were based on seconds-long clips used for educational commentary, were followed by direct monetary demands under the guise of a licensing subscription. He had called the move “extortion” and had approached the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seeking redress.
Raina’s declaration of support for Mangal comes as several high-profile creators, including Dhruv Rathee, Kunal Kamra, Nitish Rajput, Mahesh Keshwala, and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair, spoke out against ANI’s actions, accusing the news agency of abusing YouTube’s copyright strike system to financially strong-arm digital creators.
Earlier this year, Raina also faced police action in Maharashtra and Assam over allegedly derogatory comments in a YouTube show, India’s Got Latent, which also involved influencer Ranveer Allahbadia. On Tuesday, he appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) and submitted a written apology for remarks deemed disrespectful to women.
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MP: 12 labourers killed, 20 injured as pick-up van overturns and crashes into SUV
Dhar (MP) (PTI): Twelve labourers were killed and 20 others injured when the pick-up van carrying them overturned and collided with an SUV in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday night, an official said.
The incident occurred at 8:30-9 PM. According to preliminary information, 35 labourers were returning home in a pickup van from Baggad in Dhar district when the driver lost control of the vehicle near Chikliya crossing. The vehicle overturned and collided with an SUV coming from the opposite direction.
"Twelve people died on the spot, while approximately 20 others were injured," said Dhar district's in-charge collector, Abhishek Choudhary.
The seriously injured persons were referred to Indore after initial treatment, he said.
Choudhary, DIG Mayank Awasthi, and police personnel rushed to the spot.
Tirla police have registered a case and are investigating the accident.
