Indian journalist gets one-year jail in Adani defamation case
The case followed a complaint lodged in 2021 by Gautam Adani-led Adani Enterprises Ltd, the Adani Group’s flagship company, against Indian journalist Ravi Nair, Reuters
An Indian court has convicted a journalist in a criminal defamation case filed by Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) and sentenced him to one year's imprisonment.
The case followed a complaint lodged in 2021 by Gautam Adani-led Adani Enterprises Ltd, the Adani Group's flagship company, against Indian journalist Ravi Nair, Reuters reported.
The company alleged that Nair had published and disseminated a series of tweets containing "false and defamatory" statements intended to damage the reputation of AEL and the Adani Group.
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According to AEL, the tweets did not amount to fair comment or legitimate criticism but were designed to undermine the company's credibility in the eyes of the public and investors.
After the trial, the court held that AEL had successfully established its case and found Ravi Nair guilty of criminal defamation. The court sentenced him to one year's imprisonment and imposed a fine.
According to a Tuesday (10 February) court order, Adani Enterprises accused Nair of making statements suggesting "political patronage… financial irregularities and unethical conduct."
Nair's lawyer argued that the posts were based on publicly available material and constituted fair comment and criticism, the court order noted.
India is among the countries where criminal defamation remains part of the legal system and carries a maximum jail term of two years.
