Supreme Court Directs Ravi Nair to Approach Gujarat High Court
The Supreme Court of India has declined to hear journalist Ravi Nair’s plea challenging a summons issued by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch. The summons relates to a report he co-authored concerning the Adani Group. This decision was delivered by a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, who advised Nair to seek redress from the Gujarat High Court. Consequently, Nair’s petition was withdrawn from the apex court.
Details of the Controversial Report
The controversy stems from an article titled “India’s $3.9 Billion Plan to Help Modi’s Mogul Ally After US Charges,” published in The Washington Post. The article, which Nair co-authored, alleges that Indian officials facilitated a proposal steering approximately $3.9 billion in investments towards Gautam Adani’s businesses from the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), a state-owned insurer. According to the report, this involved significant investments in corporate bonds issued by Adani Group companies and an increase in LIC’s equity stakes in several subsidiaries. The report was published at a time when the Adani Group faced financial pressures and legal scrutiny abroad, including criminal charges in the US and allegations from the now-defunct Hindenburg Research concerning stock manipulation and financial irregularities.
Nair’s Legal Challenge and Concerns
Following the report, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch issued a summons to Nair as part of a preliminary inquiry. Challenging this, Nair approached the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution, arguing that the summons was a result of repeated targeting by the Adani Group through multiple complaints. Senior Advocate Anand Grover, representing Nair, argued that the summons lacked jurisdiction and was a violation of Nair’s freedom of speech. Grover expressed concerns that Nair, residing in Delhi, feared arrest if he complied with the summons to appear in Gujarat.
Previous Conviction in Defamation Case
The Supreme Court’s refusal comes in the wake of Nair’s recent conviction in a separate criminal defamation case filed by the Adani Group. A Gujarat court found that Nair’s tweets and online articles, which accused the Adani Group of cronyism and corruption, constituted criminal defamation. The court ruled that these allegations were presented as verified facts, capable of damaging the company’s reputation. Consequently, Nair was sentenced to one year of simple imprisonment and fined ₹5,000 in that case.
