Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has filed a defamation case before a Delhi court against Cobrapost and several media outlets over defamatory reporting which alleged that his companies were involved in a fraud of over ₹41,000 crores.Senior Civil Judge Vivek Beniwal of Karkardooma Courts on Thursday heard arguments on Ambani's application seeking an ex parte ad interim injunction against the media organisations. The Court has listed the case for orders on the interim injunction application on November 17. As per the Court records, Ambani has made Cobrapost.com, and several other media outlets. parties as defendants to the case.
The defamation case concerns a Cobrapost report dated October 30 which alleged that Ambani's Reliance Group had committed a financial fraud exceeding ₹41,921 crore through the diversion of funds from group companies since 2006. The allegations were reported in several other publications. On October 30, Cobrapost published a detailed report alleging that companies under the Reliance Group, led by Anil Ambani, had diverted funds worth over ₹41,921 crore since 2006. The report claimed that the money was moved between group entities in violation of financial regulations and corporate norms. The allegations were subsequently reported and cited by several major publications, giving the story wider public visibility.
In his plea, Anil Ambani has argued that the reports have severely damaged his reputation and have caused “irreparable harm” to public trust and investor confidence. Ambani’s petition states that Cobrapost and the associated publications published false and unsubstantiated claims without proper verification or factual basis, “with the sole intent to sensationalize and malign.”He has requested the court to restrain the defendants from publishing or circulating any further material related to these allegations until the matter is adjudicated.The court’s November 17 order will decide whether an interim injunction will be granted against the media houses, temporarily restraining them from reporting or publishing further on the matter.