A Delhi court on Thursday ruled that journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta is not required to comply with a previous directive to remove alleged defamatory content against Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) until further orders are issued. The decision provides temporary relief to Thakurta and others who were previously restrained from publishing or circulating what AEL claimed was unverified and defamatory content.
District Judge Sunil Chaudhary, hearing Thakurta’s appeal against a September 6, order, directed the court of the senior civil judge, northwest, to reconsider the matter. The judge stated, “The court of senior civil judge, northwest, is directed to hear the appellant also along with other defendants on September 26…” He further instructed that the civil judge, while passing “fresh orders,” must “consider the principles of law settled qua the grant of interim injunction.”
In his ruling, Judge Chaudhary clarified, “The appeal is disposed of accordingly, and the appellant will not be liable to follow the order dated September 6 till fresh orders are passed by the court of the senior civil judge upon hearing him.” This decision suspends the enforcement of the earlier order pending a new hearing.
The case stems from a defamation complaint filed by AEL, which led to a September 6 order by a civil judge directing 10 defendants to remove contentious material, including articles and social media posts, from various platforms within a specified timeframe. The defendants named in the complaint include Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, journalists Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskanta Das, and Ayush Joshi, as well as the Bob Brown Foundation, Dreamscape Network International Private Limited, Getup Limited, Domain Directors Private Limited trading as Instra, and “John Doe.”
On September 18, 2025, District Judge Ashish Aggarwal had already provided relief to four of the journalists—Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskanta Das, and Ayush Joshi—by setting aside the same September 6 order. Judge Aggarwal described the order’s directive to remove articles as “sweeping,” noting that it had the “effect of decreeing the suit itself without a trial.”
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He further stated, “All contentions of the parties are left open. It is directed that fresh orders be passed by the court of the senior civil judge on the application…after hearing the appellants (before this court) and also the respondent 1 (AEL). The court may decide the application uninfluenced by any observation made by this court,” as he disposed of the appeal.
The ongoing legal battle will now proceed with a fresh hearing on September 26, where the senior civil judge will reconsider AEL’s application for an interim injunction, taking into account the arguments of all defendants, including Thakurta, and adhering to established legal principles. The court’s decision ensures that no content removal is required until a new ruling is issued, preserving the status quo for the defendants in this high-profile defamation case.
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