Delhi Court Lifts Ban on Journalists in Adani Defamation Case

September 18, 2025

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday set aside a trial court’s order that had restrained journalists Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskant Das, and Ayush Joshi from publishing allegedly defamatory content against Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL).

Judge: No Hearing Given to Defendants

District Judge Ashish Aggarwal of Rohini Court held that the September 6 order of the Senior Civil Judge was unsustainable as it was passed without giving the journalists an opportunity to be heard. Advocates Vrinda Grover and Nakul Gandhi represented the journalists.

Impact of Earlier Order

The judge noted that the earlier order allowed Adani to approach intermediaries for takedowns, which risked contempt for those failing to comply. He stressed that the trial court must form an opinion on the allegedly defamatory content after hearing both sides.

Fresh Hearing Ordered

The case has been remanded, with the trial court directed to decide afresh on interim relief by October 15, 2025 after a proper hearing. The order is limited to the appellants before Judge Aggarwal.

Parallel Appeal Pending

A connected appeal by senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta is pending before another bench, where arguments have been made that the injunction was “over-broad” and lacked reasoning.