English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Jay Shah defamation case: Gujarat High Court restores gag on The Wire, portal to move SC

Published

8 years ago

on

Jay Shah defamation case: Gujarat High Court restores gag on The Wire, portal to move SC

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday restored a gag order barring news portal The Wire to write further on the “exceptional” increase in Jay Shah’s firm’s turnover, said media reports.

The order was first issued after The Wire published a story in September 2017, which alleged that the turnover of a company owned by BJP President Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah had grown 16,000 times in a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.

The order, issued in connection with a civil defamation case against the website, stops it from publishing any content “directly or indirectly” related to Jay Shah until the defamation case is disposed of.

Siddharth Vardarajan, the co-founding editor of The Wire, said they will challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court. “Going against several decades of jurisprudence, Gujarat High Court has restored gag order that trial court itself vacated after first granting Jay Amit Shah ex parte injunction against @thewire_in. We will challenge this verdict, which affects media freedom for all, in the Supreme Court,” Vardarajan said on Twitter.

The case pertains to the civil suit filed against the web portal through which Jay Shah has claimed a damage of Rs 100 crore. The Ahmedabad district court had granted an interim injunction against the portal, restraining it from further publishing anything on the same subject. In December 2017, the court lifted the injunction and ruled that barring the use of the words “Narendra Modi becoming prime minister/elected prime minister” in relation to any debate on the original article on Jay Shah, The Wire was free to publish content on his business and public activities.

Jay Shah had moved the High Court in December 2017 against the order of Ahmedabad district court. After the hearing in the case concluded on Jan 19, Justice Paresh Upadhyay reserved the verdict.

The lawyers appearing for The Wire had argued: “We stand by the article. Do we need to do the article threadbare … whether it is defamatory or not I stand by it and to succeed in interim injunction I don’t need to prove it. At this stage, the interim injunction prevents a public discourse because this article was written to agitate people to talk about it but not to create any chaos. The injunction simply prevents it.”

They argued that if the case was limited to a private person, then the comments could not be made but if he or she was connected with a public figure, business related to rise or fall will be commented upon by people.

Jay Shah’s lawyer, senior counsel Nirupam Nanavati, on the other hand, argued that the trial court had prima facie held that dragging Prime Minister in the write-up was not right. He argued: “Connecting my father’s position and Prime Minister so to tell the world that I (Jay) enhanced my business because of these connections can never said to be an honest opinion and the burden of proving that it is not defamatory is on respondents (portal). Assuming that whatever they collected from the record may be true but can you publish in this manner in the name of public interest? The language and the innuendo used don’t say their article is an honest opinion but only to malign me and my father and the Prime Minister. The trial court found that the PM was wrongly involved so the portal was restrained.”

Earlier, on Jan 8, the Gujarat High Court had also rejected the petition of the website The Wire seeking quashing of a criminal defamation case lodged against it by Jay Shah, son of BJP president Amit Shah.

The court held that there is a prima facie case against Wire’s reporter and editors. The court held that “the most disturbing part of the article”, which can be “prima facie termed as defamatory”, is linking the rise in Jay’s firm’s turnover with the election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister.

Justice JB Pardiwala said: “The most disturbing part of the article, or to put it in other words, the imputation which could be termed as prima facie defamatory is the averment that the turnover of the company owned by the complainant, who happens to be the son of the leader of the Bhartiya Janta Party increased 16,000 times over in the year following the election of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister and the elevation of his father to the post of the party president.”

The Wire had moved the High Court against the criminal defamation case filed by Jay before a metropolitan court, days after the website put up the article “The Golden Touch of Jay Amit Shah”, alleging that his company’s turnover grew exponentially after the BJP came to power in 2014. The Wire had said its report is based on documentary evidence and hence they cannot be tried for criminal defamation.

Saying that there is a prima facie case against the petitioner, Justice Pardiwala observed, “What is important is the strong innuendo that the complainant has prospered because of the fact that he happens to be the son of a very powerful political leader, and that too, at a point of time when Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister of the country.”

The judgment said, “…prima facie, the article tries to portray a picture that an ordinary company, which had a meagre revenue of Rs 50,000/- proceeded to accumulate the revenue of Rs 80,00,00,000/- [Rs 80 crore] in a single year…only because of the political position of the father of the complainant and at a time when Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister.”

Justice Pardiwala also raised the question about what the effect of such an article would be in the mind of a common man. He observed that “in a country like India, it does not take a second for the people in general to start thinking that the complainant has prospered only because of his political contacts. People may even infer corrupt practice at the end of the complainant. In such circumstances, the article published by the writ applicants, prima facie, could be termed as defamatory in nature.”

Justice Pardiwala had also refused to grant relief to founding editors of the website since there are “specific and clear allegations in the complaint that they are responsible for the defamatory matter and had the personal knowledge about the contents of the defamatory matter”.

The entire issue is likely to be taken to the Supreme Court by The Wire.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

Putin begins two-day India visit today, defence, energy and trade talks on agenda

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in New Delhi today for a two-day visit that will focus on defence, energy and trade, including S-400 deliveries and crude oil supply discussions.

Published

2 hours ago

on

December 4, 2025

By

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in New Delhi today for a two-day visit that is set to focus on defence cooperation, energy supplies, mobility agreements and trade expansion. His trip includes a private dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

Key highlights of the visit

President Putin is scheduled to land in the capital this evening, where an informal dinner with PM Modi will set the stage for formal discussions on Friday. He will receive a ceremonial welcome in the morning before visiting Rajghat to pay homage at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial. The two leaders will then meet at Hyderabad House for the annual summit, followed by a working lunch.

India is expected to raise the issue of pending military hardware deliveries, which have slowed since the Ukraine conflict began. The agenda also includes additional S-400 air defence systems — part of a USD 5 billion contract under which three squadrons have already been delivered. Two more units are expected by mid-next year.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has indicated that talks may also touch upon India’s interest in the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft, with New Delhi currently assessing several next-generation platforms.

Energy cooperation will be another crucial component of the dialogue. Russia is expected to update India on efforts to maintain steady crude oil supplies amid US sanctions that have impacted shipments. Peskov noted that supplies may dip briefly, but Moscow is working to stabilise flows.

On the sidelines, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov are expected to hold discussions on key military programmes.

President Putin’s visit comes as India navigates recent friction with Washington, including steep tariffs — 50 per cent across several categories and an additional 25 per cent linked to Russian crude oil imports.

The Russian President is also expected to brief PM Modi on the latest US diplomatic moves concerning the Ukraine conflict. India continues to advocate for a resolution based on dialogue and diplomacy while refraining from criticising Moscow.

Continue Reading

India News

IndiGo flight cancellations deepen as crew shortage hits operations nationwide

IndiGo’s flight operations across major cities were severely hit on Thursday as crew shortages and updated duty norms forced widespread cancellations, drawing regulatory intervention.

Published

2 hours ago

on

December 4, 2025

By

IndiGo flight

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, faced another day of widespread disruption on Thursday as hundreds of passengers across major cities were left stranded due to continued flight cancellations triggered primarily by a shortage of crew under revised duty norms.

Flight disruptions worsen across major airports

IndiGo’s operations remained heavily impacted in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad, with airports witnessing long queues and frustrated travellers. More than 30 departures from Delhi were scrapped early in the day, while Hyderabad recorded about 33 cancellations. Bengaluru airport confirmed that 73 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Thursday, and Mumbai also saw significant disruptions.

Sources told media that the total cancellations could exceed 170 flights through the day.

Passengers took to social media to highlight severe delays, with some alleging they were kept waiting for more than 12 hours without accommodation or timely updates.

IndiGo cites operational challenges, promises stabilisation

Acknowledging the strain on its vast network of over 2,200 daily flights, IndiGo apologised to customers and attributed the disruptions to multiple factors, including technological issues, winter schedule adjustments, harsh weather, airspace congestion and the new crew rostering rules known as Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).

The airline said it has initiated “calibrated adjustments” to stabilise operations over the next 48 hours.

Crew shortage under revised FDTL rules behind the crisis

A key driver of the ongoing chaos is the shortage of flight crew, especially pilots, following the implementation of the second phase of updated FDTL norms on November 1.

The revised rules mandate longer rest periods, extend night hours, and reduce allowable night landings. Airlines had initially opposed the changes but were required to comply following a court directive.

According to the aviation regulator, IndiGo cancelled 1,232 flights in November alone — 755 of them due to crew and FDTL constraints.

DGCA seeks answers as OTP plunges

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has summoned IndiGo officials for a review meeting. The regulator said it is assessing the reasons for continuing disruptions and the airline’s recovery plan.

IndiGo’s on-time performance dipped to 67.7% in November, down from 84.1% in October, driven by constraints from crew availability, ATC system failures, airport restrictions and weather factors.

Continue Reading

India News

12 Maoists killed, 3 security personnel lose lives in major anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh

A major anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh’s West Bastar region resulted in the killing of 12 Maoists, while three DRG personnel lost their lives amid intense gunfire.

Published

16 hours ago

on

December 3, 2025

By

Security forces have intensified their combing operations in the dense West Bastar forests after a fierce encounter left 12 Maoists dead and claimed the lives of three DRG personnel.

A coordinated offensive involving teams of DRG Bijapur-Dantewada, STF, CRPF and CoBRA unfolded deep inside Maoist-dominated terrain early Wednesday. According to Bijapur SP Dr Jitendra Yadav, the forces came under sustained Naxal gunfire around 9 am, triggering a prolonged encounter.

By afternoon, the bodies of 12 Maoist cadres had been recovered, while weapons seized from the area included SLR rifles, INSAS rifles, .303 rifles and other ammunition. Bastar Range IG Sundarraj P confirmed that identification of the deceased Maoists is still underway.

Three DRG personnel killed, two injured

The operation came at a grave cost, with three DRG personnel — Head Constable Monu Waddi, Constable Dukaru Gonde and Jawan Ramesh Sodi — losing their lives. Two others sustained injuries but are reported to be out of danger after receiving medical care.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai paid tribute to the fallen personnel and lauded the forces, stating that the action reflects a clear weakening of Maoist networks in the region. He said arrangements for treatment of the injured have been ensured and reiterated the government’s commitment to ending Maoist violence.

Forces strengthen search and area sealed

SP Yadav said additional reinforcements have arrived and the encounter zone has been fully cordoned off for intensified operations. Continuous combing is underway to locate remaining Maoist cadres.

Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma noted that forces have been consistently making gains in anti-Naxal missions, calling the latest action a significant strike against Maoist groups.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com

Left Menu Icon