The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday turned down a plea by news website The Wire that challenged a gag order issued against it by a lower court in Ahmedabad, PTI reported. The gag order, issued in connection with a civil defamation case against the website, stops it from publishing any content “directly or indirectly” related to Jay Shah, the son of Bharatiya Janata Party National President Amit Shah until the defamation case is disposed of.
The order was issued after The Wire published a story in September, which said the revenues of Jay Shah’s company had grown massively the year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.
On Tuesday, Justice Paresh Upadhyay asked the petitioners, including the article’s author Rohini Singh and the founding editors of the news website, to challenge the order in trial court itself, the PTI report said. The High Court asked the trial court to decide on the matter in 30 days.
The website told the High Court it was challenging the order because it was passed without issuing notices. The Wire said the facts did not warrant an ex-parte, or temporary, order.
The Wire has also filed a petition at the Gujarat High Court seeking that the criminal defamation suit against it be struck down.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!