New Delhi, May 5 -- The Supreme Court on Monday issued summons to comedians Samay Raina and four others and asked them to personally appear before it over their allegedly insensitive remarks made against persons with disabilities.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh asked the Commissioner of Police of Mumbai to ensure the presence of Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakar aka Sonali Aditya Desai and Nishant Jagdsish Tanwar before it on the next date of hearing.

The bench made it clear that if they fail to appear before it, coercive steps will be taken to secure their presence.

"Hate speech, any speech which is meant to demean another... this kind of freedom, if there, we will curtail it. ...