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Concerns Rise Over Censorship Following Delhi Court's Ruling on Adani Content

Gyanhigyan english | September 18, 2025 6:39 PM CST

Editors Guild Voices Alarm Over Court Ruling

The Editors Guild of India expressed significant concern on Wednesday regarding a recent ruling by a Delhi court that temporarily prohibits journalists from disseminating potentially defamatory information about Adani Enterprises. Additionally, the government has mandated the removal of specific YouTube videos and Instagram posts related to the company.

The guild criticized these actions as a move towards censorship, which threatens the principle of free speech.

On September 6, the court issued a temporary injunction against journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskant Das, and Ayush Joshi, as well as certain websites, preventing them from publishing content deemed defamatory towards Gautam Adani’s Adani Enterprises.

Special Civil Judge Anuj Kumar Singh of the Rohini Courts granted this ex parte injunction, which means it was issued without hearing the defendants' side.

The court clarified that it was not imposing a blanket ban on fair and verified reporting, nor on the hosting or sharing of such articles or links.

However, on September 16, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting referenced the court's ruling to instruct 12 news organizations and independent journalists to eliminate allegedly defamatory material concerning the Adani Group. This directive involved the removal of 138 YouTube links and 83 Instagram posts.

Among those receiving removal notices were media outlets such as Newslaundry, The Wire, and HW News, along with journalists and content creators like Ajit Anjum, Ravish Kumar, satirist Akash Banerjee, and Dhruv Rathee.

Except for Guha Thakurta, none of the others who received notices were involved in the court proceedings.

The Editors Guild remarked that the powers granted to a corporate entity, combined with governmental actions to issue takedown orders, represent a troubling trend towards censorship.

They warned that such measures could stifle legitimate journalism, commentary, and satire, thereby infringing on the essential right to free speech.

The guild also expressed concern over the government's directive to remove content from social media platforms.

They highlighted that the expansion of executive power has effectively allowed a private corporation to dictate what is considered defamatory regarding its operations, including the authority to demand content removals.

The Editors Guild urged the judiciary to ensure that defamation issues are resolved through proper legal processes rather than through unilateral injunctions that act as prior restraints.

Details of the Court Order

The injunction issued on September 6 arose from a defamation lawsuit filed by Adani Enterprises, which claimed that journalists, activists, and organizations had harmed the company's reputation, resulting in significant financial losses for its stakeholders. Adani Enterprises serves as the flagship entity of the Adani Group.

The court instructed the defendants to remove the contested material from their articles and social media. If removal was not possible, they were required to delete it within five days.

Following the court's decision, the government mandated the removal of 138 YouTube links and 83 Instagram posts, which included not only investigative reports but also satirical content and incidental references to the Adani Group.

Notices were also dispatched to Meta and Google, the parent companies of Instagram and YouTube, regarding this content removal.