Summary
- An Indian court has directed social media platforms to remove an online documentary examining the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire businessman Gautam Adani following a defamation lawsuit filed by Adani Enterprises.
- Adani Enterprises, the flagship company of the Adani Group, approached the court, arguing that the film contained false and defamatory claims.
- He also suggested that the documentary had unsettled Adani Enterprises and attracted attention at the highest levels.
The Calcutta High Court ordered YouTube, X and Meta-owned Instagram to take down several posts featuring the 36-minute film, titled The Friendship Files. The interim order issued late Monday, will remain in effect until January 31, 2027. The court also prohibited Sabeer Bhatia co-founder of Hotmail, from distributing the documentary.
Adani Enterprises, the flagship company of the Adani Group, approached the court, arguing that the film contained false and defamatory claims. According to the company the documentary had attracted millions of views on social media and prompted questions from some investors.
The court described the production as a “dramatised narrative” rather than a news report or an account of legal proceedings. Further hearings in the case are expected to resume in January.
Bhatia, who is based in the United States, said on X that the lawsuit sought 500 million Indian rupees, equivalent to approximately $5.25 million, in damages. He defended his position, writing that the truth was on his side. He also suggested that the documentary had unsettled Adani Enterprises and attracted attention at the highest levels.
The film uses archival footage to examine the history of the relationship between Modi and Adani, beginning in Gujarat, the western Indian state from which both men originate.
It also questions Adani’s successful bids for six airports in 2019 following a change in government rules. Critics have alleged that the change benefited the business group accusations similar to those raised by India’s opposition Congress party.
Modi’s political opponents have repeatedly accused his government of favouring Adani over the years. However, both the Indian government and the Adani Group have consistently rejected allegations of preferential treatment maintaining that applicable regulations were followed.
Before the court proceedings Maharashtra police issued Bhatia a notice on October 19, describing the film’s allegations as serious and unsubstantiated.
Opposition leader Raj Thackeray previously shared the documentary, which reportedly received 4.8 million views before removing it at the request of Mumbai’s police commissioner. Meanwhile opposition lawmaker Mahua Moitra said the film remained available on her X timeline after she posted it on October 11.
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