‘Arrest warrant’ against journalist for ‘defaming’ Adani Group

Freelance journalist Ravi Nair has alleged that he was served an arrest warrant for a criminal defamation case filed against him by the Adani Group in Gujarat without any prior summons or without being supplied a copy of the complaint or the warrant.

Nair alleged that Delhi Police personnel reached his home in Delhi at around 4:30 pm on Monday to serve the bailable warrant allegedly on behalf of the Gujarat Police. The journalist, who has written prominently on the Adani Group, alleged there was little clarity on what the case was about and has now been asked to appear before a court in Gujarat by the end of July.

“This is their way of harassment,” he said. “I was not surprised that a complaint was registered but my question is, how can there be no summons from the court or a legal notice prior to the warrant?”

Nair, whose reports on the Adani Group have been published on Newsclick and Adani Watch, has written about how the firm is set to become India’s largest private airport operator, its network of offshore investors, and the dangers of private monopolies controlling infrastructure facilities.

The communications team of the Adani Group is yet to respond to Newslaundry’s queries. This report will be updated if we receive a response.

Journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, who brought attention to the episode through a tweet on Monday, said Nair’s Twitter handle was mentioned in the alleged warrant indicating that the case was linked to a social media post. “In the absence of a complaint which has been filed, and in the absence of a court summons which would tell you why you have been summoned and what the allegations against you are, we don’t know what’s going on.”