Overview

• The Information and Broadcasting Ministry directed the removal of 138 YouTube links and 83 Instagram posts, sending notices to recipients including Newslaundry, The Wire, HW News, Ravish Kumar, Dhruv Rathee and Akash Banerjee, with copies marked to Meta and Google for compliance.
• The ministry cited a September 6 ex-parte interim order by a Rohini Courts judge requiring allegedly defamatory material about Adani Enterprises to be expunged or removed within five days, restraining five journalists and three websites.
• Journalists restrained by the order have filed appeals; on September 17 a Delhi district judge adjourned Paranjoy Guha Thakurta’s challenge to Thursday morning, with a similar appeal by four others also listed.
• Separately, a Gandhinagar magistrate issued notices summoning Abhisar Sharma and Raju Parulekar to appear on September 20 on criminal defamation complaints under BNS sections 356(1)-(3) based on an August 18 YouTube video and social media posts since January 2025.
• Adani says the allegations are baseless, asserting the Gauhati High Court order cited makes no reference to the group and that Mahabal Cement has no connection to it, while noting evidence submitted includes the video, posts and court records, and that convictions could carry up to two years in jail or fines.