In a significant development for press freedom, a Delhi court has overturned an interim injunction obtained by Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) that had barred four independent journalists from publishing critical reports on the conglomerate. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) welcomed the ruling and urged AEL to end its ongoing legal intimidation of the media.
On September 18, District Judge Ashish Aggarwal of Rohini Courts struck down the September 6 ex parte order against reporters Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskant Das, and Ayush Joshi. The judge called the original order “unsustainable,” noting that it had been issued without granting the journalists a proper hearing.
The decision comes just days after India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered the removal of 138 videos and 83 social media posts mentioning AEL, targeting outlets such as Newslaundry, The Wire, and HW News, as well as independent channels run by Ravish Kumar, Ajit Anjum, and Dhruv Rathee.
AEL launched its defamation suit in June 2024 against ten individuals and organizations, seeking to curb what it described as “defamatory” material. The court’s latest ruling marks a rare legal pushback in favor of journalists facing mounting pressure from one of India’s largest corporate groups.