Delhi Court Curbs ‘Unverified’ Content Against Adani

Delhi Court Curbs ‘Unverified’ Content Against Adani

RMN News Report Highlights:

• A Delhi court issued an interim injunction in favor of Adani Enterprises Ltd. (AEL), restraining journalists and organizations from publishing “unverified and allegedly defamatory content” about the company.
• The court ordered the removal of such material from online platforms within five days and prohibited future unsubstantiated publications.
• Separately, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC) is encountering significant obstacles in serving summons to Gautam Adani and the Adani Group in India regarding a high-profile bribery and fraud case.
• A US criminal indictment, unsealed in November 2024, alleges a scheme to pay over $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials and to lie to investors to secure billions in financing.

RMN News Legal Desk
September 7, 2025

NEW DELHI/NEW YORK – In a significant development, a Delhi district court has granted an interim injunction in favor of Adani Enterprises Ltd. (AEL) in a defamation suit, restricting journalists, NGOs, and online platforms from publishing or circulating “unverified and allegedly defamatory content” about the company. This ruling comes amidst ongoing challenges faced by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC) in serving summons to Gautam Adani and the Adani Group in India concerning a separate bribery and fraud case.

The Delhi court’s order of September 6 mandates the immediate removal of specific allegedly defamatory material from websites and social media accounts within five days of the order. It further bars the defendants from publishing any additional unsubstantiated material against Adani Enterprises. The defamation suit filed by Adani Enterprises names several individuals, including journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskanta Das, Ayush Joshi, as well as entities like the Bob Brown Foundation and Dreamscape Network International Pvt. Ltd., alongside “John Doe” defendants.

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Appearing for Adani Enterprises, Advocate Vijay Aggarwal argued that the unchecked spread of baseless allegations had severely damaged the company’s reputation, eroded investor confidence, and harmed India’s global brand image. He emphasized that while freedom of speech is vital, it cannot override the fundamental right to reputation, citing Supreme Court judgments.

Aggarwal also referenced the Supreme Court’s decision to investigate Hindenburg Research, which had admitted to short-selling Adani stocks, suggesting this context strengthened Adani’s plea for interim relief. The court acknowledged the importance of press freedom but stressed the necessity for responsible and fair exercise, noting that defamatory publications could disrupt critical infrastructure projects and cause irreparable damage to AEL’s credibility. The court also stipulated that if defendants fail to comply, intermediaries like Google, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter) must disable access to the content within 36 hours of notification, in line with IT Rules, 2021.

Meanwhile, a separate high-profile bribery and fraud case is unfolding in the United States, where the US SEC is reportedly facing significant challenges in serving summons to Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and the Adani Group in India. Documents related to the case remain undelivered six months after the US SEC sought assistance from India’s Ministry of Law & Justice.

A criminal indictment unsealed on November 20, 2024, charges Gautam S. Adani, Sagar R. Adani, and Vneet S. Jaain, executives of an Indian renewable-energy company, with conspiracies to commit securities and wire fraud. The indictment alleges they orchestrated an elaborate scheme to pay over $250 million (approximately Rs 2,029 crore) in bribes to Indian government officials to secure lucrative solar energy supply contracts worth billions of dollars.

Furthermore, the defendants allegedly lied about this bribery scheme to raise over $2 billion in U.S. dollar-denominated syndicate loans and over $1 billion from Rule 144A bond offerings from U.S. and international investors. Concerns have been raised regarding the ability of Indian authorities to act against Adani, given his identification as a “close partner of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi”. The indictment also includes allegations of conspiracy to obstruct grand jury, FBI, and US SEC investigations. It is important to note that these charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Rakesh Raman  |  LinkedIn  |  Facebook  | Twitter (X)