Calcutta High Court bars Modi-Adani documentary until 31 January 2027

The Calcutta High Court restrained Sabeer Bhatia and social platforms from circulating the documentary. The interim relief protects Adani Enterprises' reputation claim while preserving fair reporting.Stock photo used for illustrationKolkata,Oct 26, 2026 22:22 ISTThe Calcutta High Court on Monday barred the publication, uploading and sharing of a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani until January 31, 2027, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The interim order came on a petition filed by Adani Enterprises Limited against tech entrepreneur Sabeer Bhatia, who allegedly made the video, and others. The company sought a ban on its circulation and damages for defamation.Justice Aryak Dutt, hearing the case before the High Court's vacation bench, restrained the respondents, including the owners and operators of X, YouTube and Instagram, their agents and others acting under their authority, from publishing, republishing, uploading or sharing the video. The restriction also covers clips, excerpts and substantially identical reproductions across all media and platforms.According to PTI, the court said the interim injunction would remain in force until January 31, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The case will be heard by the regular bench in its monthly list for January. Justice Dutt directed the respondents to "forthwith remove or cause the removal of the concerned video, and any clip, excerpt or reproduction thereof containing any such defamatory statements, from every account, channel and page owned or controlled by them".The court also directed social media platforms to remove or block access to the video at every web address listed in the petition. They were asked to disable reposts, quote posts, shares and other forms of engagement through which the video could be accessed at those addresses. YouTube, X and Instagram were directed to preserve subscriber information, registration details, internet protocol logs recorded at the time of upload, and access logs linked to the accounts and web addresses named in the petition. The platforms must also submit, in a sealed cover and through an affidavit, the basic subscriber information of accounts whose holders are not identifiable. This must be done within two weeks of receiving the order."It is made clear that this order does not restrain constructive criticism or fair reporting on the petitioner, the Adani Group or any Government policy, otherwise than by means of the impugned video, its reproductions or the defamatory statements referred to," the court observed.The petitioner said access to the original YouTube upload had been disabled in India, apparently following a government complaint under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. However, it claimed that the video continued to be re-uploaded, reposted and circulated through other YouTube channels, X accounts and Instagram Reels.Justice Dutt directed the respondents to file their replies within four weeks of receiving the petition. The petitioner was given another two weeks to file its response to those replies.Adani Enterprises' counsel told the court that the video contained several allegations against the company and maintained that the statements were false, PTI reported. The Adani Group's counsel also argued that the right to reputation was an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution.The court has, therefore, ordered the video and related material to be removed and barred its further circulation until January 31, 2027, or until another order is passed, while clarifying that the restrictions do not apply to constructive criticism or fair reporting unrelated to the video and the statements cited in the case.- Ends