A Gandhinagar magistrate’s court has issued notices to senior journalists Abhisar Sharma and Raju Parulekar after Adani Group filed criminal defamation complaints against them. The notices, issued by the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (Adalaj police station), direct both individuals to appear before the court on September 20.
Adani Group’s lawyer, Sanjay Thakkar, confirmed the development, stating that the notices were issued under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which requires that no cognisance of an offence be taken without giving the accused an opportunity to be heard.
According to the complaint, Sharma, who runs a YouTube channel, uploaded a video on August 18, 2025, alleging that thousands of bighas of land in Assam had been allotted to Adani Group through political favours. Similarly, Parulekar, a blogger, was accused of posting and amplifying claims of land grabs, scams, and undue benefits to the company through multiple tweets and retweets since January 2025.
“The defamatory content by Sharma was on his YouTube channel, while Parulekar made defamatory comments on platform X (formerly Twitter),” Thakkar said.
Dismissing the allegations as “baseless and misleading,” Adani Group clarified that the Gauhati High Court order dated August 12, 2025, which the respondents cited, made no reference to the company. The conglomerate also stressed that Mahabal Cement Pvt Ltd, the firm at the centre of the Assam land case, has no connection with Adani Group in any capacity.
The complaints have been filed under Sections 356 (1, 2, and 3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, provisions corresponding to Sections 499, 500, and 501 of the Indian Penal Code relating to defamation.
Evidence submitted before the court includes Sharma’s YouTube video and transcript, Parulekar’s social media posts, the Gauhati High Court order, and other supporting documents.
If the case is admitted and proceeds to trial, both journalists could face imprisonment of up to two years, fines, or both.
“Upon receiving the notice, both are expected to appear personally or through their legal representatives on September 20 to present their side,” Thakkar added.
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