Rohini Court Reserves Verdict in Paranjoy Guha Thakurta Plea Challenging Adani gag Order
New Delhi – A Rohini court today reserved judgment on a plea filed by journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta seeking to quash a gag order preventing further publication of articles critical of the Adani Group. The case centers on articles alleging the Modi government altered rules to benefit Adani Enterprises.
During proceedings, Senior Advocate Anurag Ahluwalia, representing Adani Enterprises, asserted the Supreme Court had previously given the company a favorable ruling. He highlighted a finding that further publication could damage the company’s image.
When pressed by the court to identify specific defamatory statements, Ahluwalia pointed to the claim “That government tweaked norms for me,” prompting the court to ask, “to isme aapko kya dikkat ho rahi hai? (What is your problem with that?)“
Ahluwalia further presented articles alleging preferential treatment by the government. The court then requested evidence demonstrating how these articles impacted adani’s share prices.
Ahluwalia stated, “yesterday, they started with saying that the Central government is in our pocket,” to which the court responded, “Aap bhi kisi ko pocket main hoge. Bolta rahe…Koi kuchh bhi bolta hai. (You are also in someone’s pocket. Let them say… people will say things).“
Expressing frustration, Ahluwalia argued the articles declared a “scam” without sufficient evidence, stating, “Is article ki language…they declare it as a scam. When you have such materials,you don’t publish but you go around and say there is a scam. Our agony is that the buck doesn’t stop here. Time and again, there are articles tarnishing me. If they are journalists…They are sitting and scheming in the room, making up stories. Should I wait for my shares to go down…my lord should ask them what is the China angle behind them.“
Counsel for Adani also noted that Thakurta is currently under investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a terror case.
The court has taken the arguments under advisement and will announce its decision at a later date.The case has drawn attention to ongoing debates surrounding media freedom and corporate reputation.