New Delhi, March 16 The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea filed by journalist Ravi Nair challenging a notice issued by the Gujarat Crime Branch in response to a complaint by Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd regarding a purportedly defamatory article in a newspaper.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which also refused to grant Nair interim protection from any coercive action by the Gujarat Police, directed him to approach the relevant high court.
In his plea filed through advocate Paras Nath Singh, Nair challenged the Crime Branch notice dated February 12, 2026, which required him to be personally present at the office of the investigating officer on February 19.
Senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for Nair, argued that the company had initiated three cases against him in connection with the article, and that his client was being harassed.
The bench questioned Grover as to why he had filed a plea under Article 32 of the Constitution, and why he could not approach the high court under Article 226 of the Constitution for relief.
"Why a petition under Article 32? Go to the high court," the bench told Grover.
The senior counsel contended that it was his fundamental right, emphasizing his right to free speech.
However, the bench was not convinced and directed Nair to approach the high court, which, it said, was also a fundamental right.
Sensing the court's mood, Grover sought to withdraw the petition but requested protection from any coercive action until his client approached the high court.
The bench refused to grant any protection, stating that an option to file the petition electronically was now available.
The Adani Group has also filed a criminal defamation case alleging that Nair published and made a series of tweets that were defamatory and intended to damage the company's reputation.
Nair's plea claimed that the February 12 notice from the Gujarat Police sought to criminalize journalistic work carried out in good faith, after due diligence, and in the public interest, and that the state authorities were illegally conducting a roving and fishing inquiry against the petitioner without jurisdiction.
On February 10, a magistrate's court in Mansa, Gandhinagar, convicted Nair in a criminal defamation case and sentenced him to one year's imprisonment along with a fine.
The case arose from a complaint filed by Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), a flagship company of the Adani Group, alleging that Nair published and disseminated a series of tweets containing false and defamatory statements intended to damage the reputation of AEL and the Adani Group.
AEL argued that the impugned tweets did not constitute fair comment or legitimate criticism but were designed to undermine the company's credibility in the eyes of the public and investors.
After a full trial, the court found that AEL had successfully established its case and found Nair guilty of criminal defamation.
The court subsequently convicted Nair and sentenced him to one year's imprisonment.