The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice on a civil defamation suit filed by industrialist Anil Ambani seeking damages of Rs 2 crore against Bennett Coleman & Company Limited (BCCL), publisher of The Times of India and The Economic Times, as well as news agency Press Trust of India (PTI), over reports concerning ongoing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) into companies linked to the Reliance Group.
The single-judge Bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad directed the defendants to file their responses and listed the matter for further hearing on August 24.
In his suit, Ambani alleged that several media reports falsely portrayed him as personally involved in alleged financial irregularities linked to Reliance Communications Limited, Reliance Home Finance Limited and Reliance Commercial Finance Limited.
The suit contended that the reports were based on unverified sources and speculation, causing serious damage to Ambani’s reputation and goodwill. The suit stated that the investigations related to corporate entities and not to Ambani in his personal capacity. It further claimed that he was not involved in the day-to-day functioning of these companies during the relevant period.
The plea further stated that legal notices issued in November and December 2025 seeking removal of the allegedly defamatory content and publication of an unconditional apology were ignored by the media organisations, leading to institution of the present suit.
Appearing for Ambani, Advocate Tanmaya Mehta urged the Court to restrain media houses from reporting oral observations made during court proceedings unless such observations formed part of written judicial orders. The Court, however, declined to grant any interim relief in this regard.
The suit also referred to separate proceedings initiated by Ambani against NDTV and IANS, both owned by the Adani Group. Ambani alleged that NDTV published multiple targeted reports against him as part of what he described as predatory business strategies aimed at taking over his companies.
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