Ahmedabad, Sep 23 The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday denied interim relief to journalist Ravi Nair in his plea challenging his arrest after a sessions court issued a non-bailable warrant against him for failing to personally appear during a hearing in a criminal defamation case filed by Adani Enterprises.
The single bench of Justice M K Thakker said in the order that no interim relief is required to be granted, and kept the matter for dictation of the order on next Wednesday (September 30).
The HC orally noted that Nair cannot challenge the non-bailable warrant (NBW) when it has already been executed. His only remedy is to file an appropriate application to quash that order of the appellate court.
It also questioned Nair’s lawyer for not disclosing that he has also filed for bail in the matter before the sessions court along with his plea for a stay on the NBW before the high court. It observed that had the high court been informed, it probably would not have granted permission to circulate the matter on Saturday.
Nair’s lawyer Abhik Chimni said in his submission that throughout the proceedings, at no point except for this situation any bailable warrant was issued or he failed to show up after summons.
He said that eight appeal hearings took place, out of which he appeared in four, as reflected in the court history.
Senior advocate Mitesh Amin, appearing for Adani Enterprises, pointed out before the court that Nair had suppressed the fact of having simultaneously approached the Gandhinagar court for the grant of bail in the same matter.
He urged the court to keep the order sending him to custody remain in force until at least October 1, the date on which he has been asked to be presented before the sessions court.
Nair was arrested on September 17 after a district court at Gandhinagar issued an NBW against him for not remaining personally present during the hearing of his appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case.
On February 10, 2026, a Mansa court in Gandhinagar sentenced him to a simple imprisonment of one year in a criminal defamation suit filed by Adani Enterprises on September 3, 2021 over certain tweets and articles attributed to him.
The journalist has challenged his conviction in an appellate court in Gandhinagar, which granted him bail on March 9, 2026 on the condition that he remains present during the hearing of his appeal. He, however, could not personally remain present at the hearing held on September 3, 2026 due to poor health as he has to travel from his native state Kerala, his lawyers said.
The appellate court rejected his plea for exemption from personal appearance, and issued a non-bailable warrant against him without any prior notice, his lawyers claimed.
The court directed that the petitioner be taken into custody and was accordingly sent to jail.
The high court heard his petition on Saturday evening on a note that was moved before the Chief Justice praying for circulation at the earliest on the ground that the matter pertained to Article 21 and personal liberty of an individual.
(PTI News)
