Delhi Court Lifts Gag on Adani Reports

New Delhi: A Delhi district court has overturned a controversial civil court order that had forced the removal of several news reports and online content about billionaire Gautam Adani’s companies. The Rohini District Court ruled that the original order, which was passed without hearing the journalists involved, violated basic principles of justice.

The now-cancelled injunction had been issued by Senior Civil Judge Anuj Kumar Singh on September 6. It restrained several journalists and platforms from publishing or circulating allegedly defamatory material related to Adani Enterprises Limited. It also directed the removal of existing reports, posts, and videos from websites and social media.

The Delhi court's new decision came in response to appeals filed by four journalists — Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskant Das, and Ayush Joshi. District Judge Ashish Aggarwal ruled that the journalists should have been given a chance to respond before any content removal order was issued. He also found that Adani’s companies had failed to prove that the content was defamatory.

The earlier gag order triggered widespread concern. Following the civil court’s directive, the union government quickly removed hundreds of social media posts and videos. Senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the journalists, said this amounted to mass censorship based on a one-sided legal move.

Meanwhile, a related petition by senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta remains pending. His challenge to the same removal order was heard by another judge in the same court.

During the hearing, Judge Sunil Chaudhary questioned Adani’s lawyers about amendments to laws that were allegedly pushed by the company. “What is the harm in reporting that laws were changed to benefit a company?” the judge asked.

Judge Chaudhary also clarified that the lower court’s order would remain stayed — meaning it will not be enforced while the legal challenge continues. In a move, Adani’s lawyers claimed that Guha Thakurta had links to China, a charge the court did not act upon.

This case revolves around defamation suits filed by Adani Enterprises against journalists and independent news platforms. The company claimed that several reports damaged its reputation and investor confidence, and therefore needed to be taken down urgently.

On September 6, without hearing the accused journalists, the civil court granted Adani an ex parte injunction. This not only banned further reporting on the matter but also ordered platforms like YouTube and Google to take down existing material within 36 hours. The court relied on the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 — a set of rules critics say can be used to silence digital news.

After the Rohini District Court reversed the order, Judge Aggarwal said that the plaintiffs had not demonstrated how the journalists had acted with malice or false intent. He emphasized that criticism of powerful business groups, when done in the public interest, cannot be casually labeled defamatory.

Gautam Adani, one of India’s most influential businessmen, whose group has been repeatedly accused of using defamation suits to suppress investigative reporting. The journalists involved — including Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, who has covered corporate influence in Indian politics for decades — have said their work is based on verified public records and investigative research.