In a significant development, a Delhi court on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, reserved its verdict on an appeal filed by veteran journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta. He is challenging an ex-parte gag order that currently prevents him from reporting on Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL). Adding to the legal complexities, the court has also served a notice to AEL in response to a separate plea from the digital news platform Newslaundry, which addresses the same contentious issue of media restrictions.
The controversy began on September 6, when a lower city court issued an ex-parte injunction in a defamation lawsuit filed by AEL. This order barred several journalists—Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskant Das, and Ayush Joshi—from publishing content deemed “allegedly defamatory” against the company. This legal battle quickly became complicated, with the journalists’ challenge being heard across two different courts: one presided over by District Judge Sunil Chaudhary and another by Judge Ashish Aggarwal.
Interestingly, Judge Aggarwal provided some relief on September 18, setting aside the gag order for Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskant Das, and Ayush Joshi. However, Mr. Guha Thakurta and Newslaundry faced a different outcome, as Judge Chaudhary initially denied their request for an urgent hearing. On September 22, Judge Chaudhary suggested transferring the case to Judge Aggarwal, given his prior involvement and orders in related matters. This proposed transfer, however, was rejected by Principal District and Sessions Judge Gurvinder Pal Singh on September 23, keeping the cases separate for now.
When the case returned before Judge Chaudhary on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Adani Enterprises’ lawyer argued that Judge Aggarwal’s decision to lift the gag order for other journalists should not influence the current proceedings, asserting that ‘The other court can’t impose its views on your lordships.’ In response, Mr. Guha Thakurta’s counsel emphasized the urgency, stating that immediate relief would allow for the restoration of articles previously removed due to the lower court’s initial order. Following these arguments, the court decided to reserve its final verdict.
Regarding Newslaundry’s separate plea, Judge Chaudhary observed that the news portal was not directly named as a defendant in AEL’s original civil suit, suggesting they might not be considered an ‘aggrieved party’ in the same manner as the individual journalists. He further indicated that if intermediaries hosting Newslaundry’s content are compelled to remove it due to the existing gag order, the platform would have the right to challenge such actions independently. The court has scheduled the next hearing for Newslaundry’s appeal for October 15, following the issuance of a notice to Adani Enterprises.