The Rohini District Court, Delhi granted interim relief to Adani Enterprises Ltd. (AEL) in a defamation suit filed against journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, several other individuals, and websites including adaniwatch.org, pranjoy.in, and adanifiles.com.au.
The plaintiff alleged that the defendants, acting with mala fide intent, had published and circulated defamatory articles, social media posts, and reports that tarnished the reputation of the Adani Group, its founder Gautam Adani, and its business operations in India and abroad. It was contended that such publications caused financial losses, strained international projects, harmed investor confidence, and damaged India’s brand image globally.
Adani sought ex parte interim injunctions under Order 39 Rules 1 & 2 CPC, including directions for removal of defamatory content from websites and social media platforms, restraint against further circulation of such material, and liberty to notify intermediaries for takedowns in accordance with the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
After hearing Senior Advocate Jagdeep Sharma for the plaintiff, the Court held that a prima facie case was made out, the balance of convenience lay in favour of the plaintiff, and denial of relief could cause irreparable harm to its reputation and business interests. The Court restrained the defendants and unnamed “John Doe” parties from publishing or circulating unverified, unsubstantiated, and ex facie defamatory material against Adani Enterprises until the next date of hearing.
The Court further directed defendants and intermediaries to remove prima facie defamatory content within five days and comply with due diligence obligations under Rule 3 of the 2021 IT Rules. The plaintiff was also granted liberty to share specific URLs and hyperlinks with intermediaries, who must act within 36 hours of such notice.
The matter is listed for further proceedings on October 9, 2025.
Appearances:
Plaintiff: Shri Jagdeep Sharma, Id. Sr. Advocate (through VC) along with Shri Vijay Aggarwal (through VC), Shri Guneet Sidhu (through VC), Shri Verdaan Jain, Ms. Muskan Aggarwal and Shri Deepak Aggarwal, Ld. Counsels for plaintiff.