Anil Ambani claims NDTV published ‘defamatory’ articles on him to aid Adani’s takeover of his firms

Businessman Anil Ambani told the Delhi High Court on Thursday that television news channel NDTV had published “defamatory” reports about him to aid the Adani Group’s alleged attempt to take over his companies, Bar and Bench reported.

The Gautam Adani-led Adani Group is the majority shareholder in NDTV.

Ambani alleged before the court that the news channel had published 72 reports about him in recent months to further the Adani Group’s “predatory strategies”.

He claimed that the reports were aimed at creating panic in the markets, influencing public perception of Reliance Power and Reliance Infrastructure and manipulating market sentiment in favour of the Adani Group.

The High Court issued notice to NDTV, its chief executive officer and editor-in-chief Rahul Kanwal on Ambani’s defamation suit pertaining to the channel’s reporting on investigations against his companies by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.

The suit also named IANS, another Adani Group-owned media company, the news agency’s editor Ashish Manchanda, NDTV managing editor Manoranjan Bharti and NDTV Profit managing editor Tamanna Inamdar.

Appearing for Ambani, advocate Shri Venkatesh argued before Justice Subramonium Prasad that NDTV repeatedly linked Ambani personally to cases filed against Reliance companies whenever arrests were made.

“I am distinct from the entity [Reliance], and the persons being arrested belong to that entity,” Bar and Bench quoted the advocate as submitting before the court.

Ambani has sought more than Rs 2 crore in damages and said the amount would be donated to charity.

The court said that the case involved matters related to Article 19 and freedom of speech, and therefore, notice would have to be issued before considering Ambani’s request for an interim injunction against further publication of the reports.

The matter has been listed for further hearing in July.