Gujarat court issues notices to journalists regarding allegations tied to land allotment in Assam.
A court in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, has instructed journalists Abhisar Sharma and Raju Parulekar to appear before it concerning criminal defamation complaints lodged by the Adani Group. The directive from the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class in Adalaj requires their presence on September 20, as reported by PTI.
The defamation complaints reference a YouTube video posted by Sharma on August 18, 2025. In this video, Sharma made claims about significant land allocations in Assam to the Adani Group, suggesting a connection between the company and alleged political favors. Additionally, Parulekar faces scrutiny for his social media posts since January 2025, which allegedly echoed similar assertions about land grabs and undue advantages tied to the conglomerate.
The Adani Group responded to these allegations, describing them as “baseless and misleading.” According to a press release from the conglomerate, a Gauhati High Court order issued on August 12, which was referenced by both journalists, does not mention the Adani Group at all. The company clarified that Mahabal Cement Pvt Ltd, the entity involved in the High Court case, has no affiliation with them.
The High Court case revolves around the allocation of approximately 2,000 bighas of land in Assam’s Dima Hasao district to Mahabal Cement Private Limited in October 2024, with an additional 1,000 bighas granted in November. The court raised concerns regarding the allotment of this substantial land parcel for a cement factory, questioning the policy under which such a large area could be allocated to a private company.
Reports have suggested a link between Mahabal Cement Private Limited and the Adani Group, although the conglomerate has explicitly denied any connection. The press release also indicated that the evidence submitted to the Gandhinagar court included Sharma’s video and transcript, alongside Parulekar’s social media content and the relevant Gauhati High Court order from August 12.
If the court accepts the cases, they could advance to trial. In such a scenario, both journalists may face penalties, including imprisonment for up to two years, fines, or a combination of both. This legal action emerges shortly after a separate incident on September 6, when a Delhi court temporarily barred five journalists and three websites from disseminating material alleged to be defamatory towards Adani Enterprises.
The journalists involved in the Delhi case include Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskant Das, and Ayush Joshi, while the websites affected are paranjoy.in, adaniwatch.org, and adanifiles.com.au. This suit pertains to claims by Adani Enterprises that the actions of journalists, activists, and organizations have adversely impacted the company’s reputation and resulted in significant financial losses for its stakeholders.
