Delhi court grants interim injunction restraining activists, journalists, and NGOs from publishing alleged defamatory material against Adani Enterprises.
Order directs removal of posts from websites and social media within five days; intermediaries like Google and YouTube must comply within 36 hours.
Court cites prima facie case for AEL, with next hearing set for October 9.
Delhi court has issued an interim injunction restraining several journalists, activists, and foreign-linked NGOs from publishing or circulating what it called “unverified and defamatory” content against Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL). The order, passed on Saturday, also directed the defendants to remove alleged defamatory material from websites, social media posts, and videos within five days.
According to LiveLaw, the case stems from a civil suit filed by AEL, which alleged that coordinated publications on platforms including paranjoy.in, adaniwatch.org, and adanifiles.com.au were designed to damage its reputation and disrupt global operations. Named defendants include journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, and Ayaskanta Das, along with NGOs such as the Bob Brown Foundation and Dreamscape Network International.
The court noted, as cited by Bar and Bench, there was a “prima facie case” in favour of AEL, emphasising that continued sharing of such reports could cause “incalculable damage” and amount to a media trial. It restrained the defendants from making further unverified statements about the company and allowed AEL to notify additional links for takedown. Intermediaries such as Google, YouTube, and X have also been directed to remove or disable access to flagged material within 36 hours if requested.
Appearing for AEL, advocate Vijay Aggarwal argued that unchecked dissemination of baseless allegations had not only harmed the company’s image but also impacted investor confidence and India’s global brand. The court scheduled the matter for further hearing on October 9.
