Legal Blow to Journalists as Court Sides with Adani Over Reputation Damage
Syed Ali Taher Abedi
Delhi September, 6,2025- A Delhi court on Saturday issued an ex-prate interim injunction restraining journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, along with several other journalists and activists, from publishing or circulating allegedly defamatory material against Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) and its founder, billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani.
The order was passed by Senior Civil Judge Anuj Kumar Singh of the Rohini District Court, who also directed the removal of existing defamatory content circulating online. Those restrained include journalists and writers Ravi Nair, Abir Das Gupta, Kant Das, Ayush Joshi, and others accused of publishing and promoting damaging material targeting the Adani Group.
Adani’s Allegations Before the Court
In its plea, Adani Enterprises Limited argued that several journalists, activists, and organizations had engaged in a sustained campaign aimed at discrediting the company, tarnishing its image, and inflicting significant financial and reputational harm.
The company claimed:
The publications and online posts caused its stakeholders billions of dollars in losses.
The attacks were not only damaging to Adani’s business interests but also eroded India’s global credibility, brand value, and investor sentiment.
The accused were allegedly working in alignment with “anti-India interests” that sought to disrupt infrastructure and energy projects crucial for the nation’s security and development.
Continuous disparaging reports, particularly referencing the Hindenburg Research report, hindered the Group’s ability to raise capital, delayed developmental timelines by years, and created doubts about its debt exposure.
AEL specifically pointed to material published on websites such as paranajoy.in, adani.org, and adanifiles.com, alleging these platforms repeatedly released defamatory content against Gautam Adani and the Group.
Court’s Observations
After examining the submissions, the Rohini Court said the company had established a prima facie case justifying the grant of interim relief.
The court noted that while freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution is sacrosanct, this right cannot be misused to maliciously target reputations. It concluded that AEL’s concerns about reputational and financial harm warranted urgent judicial protection pending further hearings.
Legal Representation
Adani Enterprises was represented by advocates Vijay Agarwal, Pradhan Jain, Kan Agarwal, and Deepak Agarwal, who emphasized the irreparable damage caused to the Group’s credibility and India’s branding as an investment destination.
The matter will be taken up for further hearing in due course, but until then, the defendants remain restrained from publishing, republishing, or disseminating the disputed content against Adani Enterprises and Gautam Adani.
