'No ex parte order': Court denies Anil Ambani's plea to halt media coverage

A Delhi court refused Anil Ambani's request to stop media reports on alleged ₹41,000-crore fraud, saying it will hear all media organisations first before deciding on any interim order

A Delhi court on Monday declined to grant an ex parte interim injunction sought by businessman Anil Ambani to stop the media from reporting allegations that his companies were involved in a financial fraud of over ₹41,000 crore, Bar and Bench reported.

 

Senior Civil Judge Vivek Beniwal of the Karkardooma Court said the matter would be heard after giving media organisations a chance to present their side. The judge made it clear that he was not inclined to pass an immediate order without hearing the defendants involved.

 

The court issued summons in Ambani’s main defamation suit and also sent notices to all defendants regarding his request for an interim injunction. The case has been filed against Cobrapost.com, Bennett Coleman and Company Limited (publisher of The Economic Times and The Times of India), Live Media & Publishers Pvt Ltd, and unnamed parties, the Bar and Bench reported.

 

 

“I don’t think you have a very good case right now warranting protection of ex parte ad interim injunction. I will issue summons. No ex parte order,” the court said. The judge added that the media organisations would be heard before any interim relief is considered.

 

Appearing for Ambani, advocate Vijay Aggarwal said the court could record his submission that he was not pressing for an ex parte order. “My lord may issue summons and hear both parties,” he told the court.

 

The court scheduled the next hearing for December 5.

 

Ambani approached the court after a Cobrapost investigation published on October 30 alleged that the Reliance Group had diverted funds from group companies since 2006, amounting to more than ₹41,921 crore. The allegations were later carried by several other publications, including The Economic Times.   

 

Anil Ambani skips ED summons again in Fema case

 

Anil Ambani (66) did not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in a case under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (Fema). This was the second time he skipped the agency’s summons.

 

Ambani repeated his earlier offer to appear through a “virtual appearance/recorded video”, the same offer he had made when he skipped the first summons on November 14. The ED had earlier rejected this request and issued a fresh notice for Monday.

 

Fema cases involve civil proceedings, unlike criminal proceedings under anti-money laundering laws.

 

A spokesperson for Ambani said, “Anil D Ambani has offered to make himself available for the recording of his statement, at any date and time suitable to ED, via virtual appearance/recorded video.”

 

(With agency inputs)