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Supreme Court Directs Ravi Nair to High Court, Declines Protection on Crime Branch Notice

The order leaves him to contest the Ahmedabad Crime Branch summons in the proper forum.

Overview

  • A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta dismissed Nair’s Article 32 plea as withdrawn with liberty to approach the jurisdictional High Court.
  • The court refused interim protection from coercive action, noting that he can electronically file in the High Court.
  • The challenged notice, dated February 12, 2026, requires Nair to appear on February 19 for a preliminary enquiry tied to a Washington Post article and one of his tweets.
  • The notice stems from a complaint attributed to Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd, while a separate criminal defamation case by Adani Enterprises over Nair’s tweets is also pending.
  • Nair’s filings describe the article as bona fide public-interest reporting based on LIC and DFS documents and anonymous officials, as he also faces a February conviction for criminal defamation carrying a one-year sentence and a fine.