The Supreme Court of India declined to hear journalist Ravi Nair’s plea challenging a summons issued by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch over a report on the Adani Group. The Court asked him to approach the Gujarat High Court instead, after which the petition was withdrawn.
The Supreme Court of India on Monday declined to entertain a petition filed by journalist Ravi Nair challenging a summons issued to him by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch in connection with an article he co-authored about the Adani Group.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta briefly heard the matter and advised Nair to approach the Gujarat High Court for relief. After the Court indicated that it was not inclined to hear the matter under Article 32 of the Constitution, the petition was withdrawn.
ALSO READ: Delhi Court Quashes Gag Order Against Journalists in Adani Defamation Case
The issue arose after the Ahmedabad Crime Branch issued a summons to Nair as part of a preliminary inquiry regarding a report he co-wrote for The Washington Post titled
“India’s $3.9 billion plan to help Modi’s mogul ally after US charges.”
The article discussed alleged internal documents suggesting that Indian officials had prepared and promoted a proposal to direct approximately $3.9 billion in investments from the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) towards businesses belonging to billionaire Gautam Adani.
According to the report, the plan involved large investments in corporate bonds issued by Adani Group companies and an increase in LIC’s equity holdings in several subsidiaries of the conglomerate.
The report further suggested that the investment move was aimed at demonstrating financial confidence in the Adani Group during a period when the conglomerate was facing financial pressure and scrutiny abroad. It also referred to criminal charges filed by US authorities against Adani in 2024 and earlier allegations made by the now-defunct short-seller Hindenburg Research, which had accused the group of stock manipulation and financial irregularities. The Adani Group has consistently denied all such allegations.
Following the publication of the report, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch issued a summons to Nair seeking his appearance as part of a preliminary inquiry into the matter.
Challenging this summons, Nair approached the Supreme Court directly under Article 32 of the Constitution. During the hearing, Senior Advocate Anand Grover appeared on behalf of the journalist and argued that Nair was facing repeated legal complaints and pressure because of his investigative reporting.
“He’s being harassed consistently. The same company files a complaint and the police issues notice. They have no jurisdiction. They have lodged three cases against him because he’s writing something. It’s freedom of speech,”
Grover submitted before the Court.
Grover further informed the Bench that Nair is based in Delhi and expressed concern that he could be arrested if he travels to Gujarat in response to the summons issued by the Crime Branch.
“He’s in Delhi, he can’t go there (to Gujarat). At least no coercive action. If I go there, they will arrest me,”
Grover said while requesting the Court to grant protection from arrest.
However, the Supreme Court indicated that it was not inclined to entertain the petition under Article 32 and advised the journalist to approach the Gujarat High Court, which has the appropriate jurisdiction to hear the matter. Following this observation, the plea was dismissed as withdrawn.
Notably, this is not the first legal dispute involving Nair and the Adani Group. Recently, a court in Gujarat convicted the journalist in a separate criminal defamation case filed by the conglomerate.
ALSO READ: Delhi Court to Hear Paranjoy Guha Thakurta’s Adani Gag Order Appeal Tomorrow at 10 AM
In that case, the court held that several tweets and online articles published by Nair accusing the Adani Group of cronyism, corruption, and unethical practices crossed the legal boundary between criticism and criminal defamation. According to the court, the allegations were presented as factual statements without adequate verification and had the potential to damage the company’s reputation.
As a result, Nair was sentenced to one year of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹5,000 in that case.
The latest proceedings before the Supreme Court therefore come amid continuing legal challenges faced by the journalist over his reporting related to the Adani Group, raising questions about freedom of speech, investigative journalism, and the appropriate legal remedies available in such disputes.
Click Here to Read More Reports On Journalist Ravi Nair
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
