After Suing NDTV, Anil Ambani Moves Delhi High Court against Times of India, Economic Times & PTI

Bhavini Srivastava and Prashant Jha (Bar and Bench) 20 May 2026

Economy & Nation

Businessman Anil Ambani has filed a ₹2 crore defamation suit before the Delhi High Court, accusing Times of India, Economic Times (ET) and Press Trust of India (PTI) of sensationalised news reporting on ongoing CBI and ED investigations against his companies.

The Court on Wednesday sought the response of Bennett Coleman and Company Limited (BCCL) and the editors of Times of India, Economic Times and Press Trust of India (PTI) in the matter.

Justice Subramonium Prasad passed the order, directing the news agencies and journalists to file their response and posted the matter for hearing on August 24.

Ambani has claimed that defamatory articles were published against him by TOI, ET, PTI, etc. in relation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probes into a loan fraud case concerning the Reliance companies owned by him.

He has argued that such false, malicious and misleading media publications has caused serious harm to his reputation and goodwill.

The defamation suit adds that such media articles and videos relied on unverified sources, conjecture and speculative assertions to portray Ambani as personally involved in alleged irregularities connected to Reliance Communications Limited, Reliance Home Finance Limited and Reliance Commercial Finance Limited.

It also contends that the investigations concern these corporate entities and not Ambani in his personal capacity, adding that he was not involved in their day-to-day management during the relevant period.

The suit further states that legal notices dated November 28, 2025, and December 5, 2025, demanding the removal of such content and an unconditional apology, were ignored, prompting the present legal action before the Court.

Ambani’s counsel advocate Tanmaya Mehta today requested Court to restrain the media agencies from quoting court's oral observations in their news reports.

"At least some direction to the effect that oral observations of court that are not in written order should not be cited. They are quoting oral observations. The law is settled that you cannot quote oral observations," Mehta said.

The Court refused to pass any such interim restraint order.

"Same order. Simple, not a single stay," Justice Prasad said.

Notably, Ambani has sued news platform NDTV and news agency IANS - both owned by the Adani group - over their reporting as well. As part of this case, Ambani has also told the High Court that the Adani Group wants to take over his companies, and that NDTV has published 72-pointed articles against him in the last few months to facilitate its ultimate owners' "predatory strategies."

Courtesy: Bar & Bench

Comments

User

pentaserviceinc

3 months ago

What a co-incidence in the media houses being sued by Anil Ambani, as he inches towards a major planetary re-alignment after 2 weeks as he turns 67. The 66 equation did not suit Anil Ambani numerologically, leading to the events starting from July last year, and all skeletons in his cupboard came tumbling at tornado speeds. And the tornado was an aftermath of the hurricane Anil Ambani wanted to bring in Delhi.

Coincidentally, both these Adani owned media arms, have had a rumored link with Anil Ambani historically. IANS was rumored to be a news agency under the shadow of Anil Ambani. The editor of IANS has often been referred to, or branded, as a Close Confidant of Junior Ambani, both in the Delhi and Mumbai media circles. Soon after the division between the brothers, a consultant of Anil Ambani directly moved in a CXO role at IANS. Though the ownership may not reflect in public filings, IANS having some links to Anil Ambani were a regular gossip inside the newsroom.

Conversely the links of Anil Ambani's once interest in NDTV link through his closest confidant and loyalist, a global fund manager Amitabh Jhunjhunwala. A Delhi based stock broker, rumored to be a close friend of RAAGA's Group MD, had a public spat with NDTV management as a shareholder. The legal battle and its Quantum were washed by News Laundry in the Caravan of court cases, around the time some Anil Ambani companies were near NCLT stages. Likely to be a pure coincidence, despite the Delhi based stock broker happens to be an officiating authority on a firm named TAJ Capital, where AJ could be the acronym of Amitabh Jhunjhunwala, and T might be standing for someone's spouse's first name. Forming a rhythmic resonance with one of the 9 wonders of the world, which happens to be known more for being the final resting place of a emperor overthrown by his son, after dedicating the monument to his spouse. Though TAJ's shape is now in form of AJ.

Both these news arms now under the Adani Group's media foray. And Anil Ambani filing cases against those very organizations which once had links to, or interests in, by the self declared personally bankrupt erstwhile name in the list of richest in Asia and the World.