In a significant legal development, a Gujarat court has granted bail to journalist Ravi Nair, who is embroiled in a criminal defamation case filed by the Adani Group. This decision comes following Nair’s earlier conviction in the case, where he was initially released on bail pending his appeal. However, a non-bailable warrant was issued against him on September 17 due to his alleged failure to appear before the appellate court, resulting in his arrest.
The bail plea was approved by Principal and District Sessions Judge Ashish JS Malhotra in Gandhinagar. Nair was represented by Advocate Abhik Chimni, who argued for his release. This decision marks a temporary relief for Nair, who had been in judicial custody following the warrant.
Earlier attempts to secure interim relief from the Gujarat High Court proved unsuccessful for Nair, as the court declined to intervene regarding the non-bailable warrant. Consequently, Nair sought regular bail from the sessions court, which was ultimately granted.
The roots of this legal battle trace back to February when a magistrate convicted Nair in a defamation case initiated by the Adani Group. The charges were based on a series of tweets and online articles published by Nair, which accused the conglomerate of various unethical practices. The court ruled that these publications exceeded fair criticism, constituting criminal defamation.
The Adani Group lodged the criminal complaint in September 2021, highlighting that between October 2020 and July 2021, Nair had disseminated multiple tweets from his X (formerly Twitter) account and articles on a platform named “adaniwatch.org.” The content accused the Adani Group of corruption, crony capitalism, environmental law manipulation, misuse of government agencies, and unethical business practices.
More Read
Following his conviction, Nair appealed the ruling at a sessions court, seeking to overturn the magistrate’s decision. He was initially granted bail during this appellate process. However, his failure to appear in court led to the issuance of the non-bailable warrant, prompting his recent detention.
Nair challenged the issuance of this warrant before the sessions court, which initially rejected his plea, leading to his incarceration on September 17. The recent decision to grant bail marks a critical juncture in this ongoing legal saga, as Nair continues to contest the defamation verdict in higher courts.
