Gandhinagar — A court in Gandhinagar has issued notices to journalists Abhisar Sharma and Raju Parulekar for personal appearance on September 20 following criminal defamation complaints filed against them by the Adani Group.
The business conglomerate has accused Sharma, a YouTuber, and Parulekar, a blogger, of spreading false and defamatory content aimed at damaging its reputation. The Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Gandhinagar, PS Adalaj, directed both individuals to appear before it, according to a release issued by the Group.
Adani has invoked sections 356 (1, 2, and 3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which correspond to sections 499, 500, and 501 of the Indian Penal Code. The complaints cite a YouTube video uploaded by Sharma on August 18, 2025, alleging that thousands of bighas of land in Assam had been allotted to the company and linking it to political favours. Parulekar’s tweets and retweets since January 2025 made similar claims of land grabs, scams, and undue benefits.
Dismissing the allegations as “baseless and misleading,” Adani stated that the Gauhati High Court order dated August 12, 2025, cited by the respondents, made no mention of the company. It clarified that Mahabal Cement Pvt Ltd, the firm at the centre of the case, has no connection with the Adani Group.
Evidence presented before the court includes Sharma’s video and transcript, Parulekar’s social media posts, the Gauhati High Court order, and related records. If admitted, the case may proceed to trial, where the journalists could face imprisonment of up to two years, fines, or both.
