Delhi Court Orders Defamatory Content Removal in Adani Case

In a significant legal development, a Delhi district court granted an interim injunction favoring Adani Enterprises Ltd. in its defamation lawsuit against several journalists, NGOs, and online platforms. The court's order prohibits the dissemination of unsubstantiated and allegedly defamatory material about the company. It requires the immediate removal of such content from websites and social media accounts.

The defamation suit names journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskanta Das, and Ayush Joshi, alongside organizations like the Bob Brown Foundation and several international entities. Representing AEL, Advocate Vijay Aggarwal argued about the severe impact of baseless allegations on the company's reputation and investor confidence, while emphasizing India's standing globally. He contended that the right to free speech must be balanced with the right to reputation, protected under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Highlighting the gravity of defamation, Aggarwal cited landmark cases, including Subramanian Swamy v. Union of India and the Swami Ramdev case, in support of his arguments. He warned against 'trial by media' and referred to the Supreme Court's recent move to investigate Hindenburg Research for short-selling Adani stocks, illustrating the detrimental effects of false claims. The court recognized the importance of press freedom in democracy but stressed its responsible execution, as defamatory publications could damage investor trust and disrupt key infrastructure projects.

The court mandated immediate removal of defamatory content within five days, warning that failure to comply would require tech intermediaries like Google and YouTube to disable access within 36 hours, aligning with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.