The key facts

  • The Calcutta High Court banned the publication, uploading and distribution of the film about Modi's and Adani's ties until January 31 of next year
  • The lawsuit was filed by Adani Enterprises Limited against entrepreneur Sabir Bhatia and others, seeking an end to distribution and compensation for defamation
  • The court ordered the defendants to remove the video and its excerpts from all accounts and channels under their control

Court bans screening of the film until the end of January

The High Court of Calcutta in eastern India has banned the 'publication, uploading and distribution' of a documentary film claiming links between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire Gautam Adani. According to the Press Trust of India, which Anadolu cites,the ban remains in effect until January 31 of next year.

The essence of the lawsuit and the court's arguments

The ruling was issued on a lawsuit filed by Adani Enterprises Limited against tech entrepreneur Sabir Bhatia, who, according to the company, created the video, and other defendants. The plaintiff sought an end to the film's distribution and damages for defamation. In his order, Justice Aryak Dutt stated that 'the impugned video is not a news report or an account of court proceedings,' but rather 'a dramatized narrative whose title directly alleges theft, while the voiceover and visuals are presented as facts.' The court ordered the defendants to immediately remove the video, as well as any clips, excerpts or reproductions of it containing defamatory claims, from all accounts, channels and pages they own or control. The order also noted that the plaintiff's lawyer told the court that the video contains various claims about the company that are false.