Kolkata, Oct 27: The Calcutta High Court has granted an interim stay—effective until January 31, 2027—on the broadcast, sharing, and uploading of the controversial documentary titled “How Modi and Adani Stole India: The Friendship Files,” which focuses on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and businessman Gautam Adani.
The order was issued by Justice Aryak Dutt, sitting on the court’s vacation bench, during the hearing of a ₹50 crore defamation suit filed by Adani Enterprises.
What is this documentary?
The 36-minute video, titled “How Modi and Adani Stole India: The Friendship Files,” was produced by Indian-American entrepreneur and Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia in collaboration with the YouTube channel ‘Shadow Citizens.’ The video reportedly levels false and defamatory allegations against the company without any credible basis. Counsel for Adani argued that the documentary contains serious allegations—such as links between drug trafficking and terror financing, as well as the filing of a false case against a farmer—which have caused severe damage to the organization’s reputation. Furthermore, they asserted that the right to live with dignity is an integral part of the ‘right to life’ guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Observing that the documentary resembles a dramatized fictional narrative rather than a standard news report, the court directed all social media platforms—including YouTube and Instagram—to immediately remove the video, any clips derived from it, or any similar re-uploads. Additionally, the court ordered these platforms to securely preserve the IP logs, registration details, and subscriber information associated with the accounts that re-uploaded the video.