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May 11, 2026 at 8:27 AM IST

When powerful businessmen facing regulatory or legal scrutiny turn to defamation suits against news organisations, the legal process risks becoming a tool of pressure rather than protection. Anil Ambani’s latest action against NDTV, following an earlier suit against Republic TV, underscores a recurring tension between reputation management and press freedom.

Defamation law exists to remedy attack on reputation owing to falsified narratives. But, when it is used by individuals with vast financial and legal resources against media houses reporting on matters of public interest, it can create a chilling effect. Even if the reporting is ultimately vindicated, the burden of litigation can be big. This is only one of the reasons there’s also a call for doing away with criminal defamation from the Indian law when misuse of defamation laws is discussed.

There’s no gainsaying that businesses are entitled to protect their reputation. The concern, however, is whether legal action should become a strategy to intimidate the press when scrutiny is indeed warranted. 

Key Rulings:

Courts: 

  • Calcutta High Court says telecom operator Vi cannot use songs as caller tunes without having copyright licence for them

  • Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s personality rights protected by Delhi High Court; deepfakes ordered to be taken down

  • Delhi High Court says writ petitions against labour court orders against Air India can be filed even after the company’s privatisation

  • A petition challenging composition of Sir Ratan Tata Trusts’ board filed before Bombay High Court; court denies urgent hearing

  • Supreme Court says it cannot order arrest of Anil Ambani to sensationalise the case; takes status report by investigating agencies on record in bank loan fraud case

  • Anil Ambani sues Adani-owned NDTV for defamation before the Delhi High Court over the channel’s coverage of the investigation against him and his companies; court seeks NDTV’s response

  • Former CJI DY Chandrachud appointed as mediator in the inheritance case of billionaire Sunjay Kapur

  • Bombay High Court quashes FIR filed against HDFC CEO by Lilavati Hospital, says the FIR was filed out of vendetta

  • Supreme Court upholds Glas trust’s inclusion in Byju’s CoC, dismisses plea over the issue, says the litigation has gone too far

  • Supreme Court agrees to hear a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the amendment to the Transgender Persons Protection Act, issues notice but refuses to stay operation of any provisions

  • Delhi High Court rejects SpiceJet’s petition against order for depositing 1.44 billion rupees

Quasi Courts:

  • NCLAT upholds Adani’s bid for Jaiprakash Associates, dismisses Vedanta’s appeal; Adani filed caveat before Supreme Court in anticipation of further appeals

  • Competition Commission of India orders investigation against Pernod Ricard over allegations of unfair practice in the Delhi excise policy case

  • NCLAT sets aside CCI fine of 3 billion rupees imposed against Grasim over alleged abuse of dominance in VSF sector, remands the issue to CCI

Others:

  • Union Cabinet approved increasing Supreme Court’s strength from existing 34 judges to now 38 including the Chief Justice of India

The Big Listings:

  • Jun 23: Securities Appellate Tribunal to hear appeal by Jane Street challenging SEBI’s move to allegedly refuse access to important documents to the firm in the case against it

  • Jul 15: Delhi High Court to hear Apple Inc.’s plea against India’s competition law’s provisions on global turnover-based penalties on MNC

  • July: Supreme Court to hear PIL petition seeking tighter probe into Anil Ambani’s fraud allegations

  • Jul 27: Delhi High Court to hear Anil Ambani’s defamation lawsuit against NDTV

* The dates of hearing can change and a concrete list is prepared just a day before

Legal Moves: 

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