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Calcutta High Court bars circulation of Modi-Adani documentary
The Calcutta High Court has issued an interim injunction barring the publication, uploading, and sharing of a documentary titled ‘The Friendship Files: How Modi and Adani Stole India’ until January 31, 2027. The 36-minute video essay, uploaded to tech entrepreneur Sabeer Bhatia’s YouTube channel, Bcubed, alleges close ties between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.
Justice Aryak Dutt described the video as a ‘dramatised narrative’ rather than a news report, noting that its title ‘insinuates theft’ and presents unsubstantiated allegations as factual. The court observed that the content included serious claims against the Adani Group, such as complicity in narcotics smuggling and procuring police violence, which have not been verified by any authority.
The injunction requires social media platforms, including YouTube, X, and Instagram, to remove the video and disable access to specific URLs. The order also extends to clips, excerpts, and substantially identical reproductions, while prohibiting reposts, quote posts, and other forms of engagement that allow the content to remain accessible. Additionally, the platforms must preserve subscriber details, IP logs, and access logs related to the accounts in question.
Entities
Adani Enterprises Limited · Calcutta High Court · Gautam Adani · Narendra Modi · Sabeer Bhatia
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Calcutta High Court barred the circulation of the documentary until January 31, 2027. theobserverpost.com · www.livelaw.in · scroll.in
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The video contains allegations of complicity in narcotics smuggling and terror funding. www.livelaw.in
- [● 3 SOURCES] Justice Aryak Dutt described the video as a dramatised narrative rather than a news report. theobserverpost.com · www.livelaw.in · scroll.in
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The court noted that the original video had been disabled previously but was re-uploaded by Bhatia. scroll.in
- [● 3 SOURCES] The documentary is titled ‘The Friendship Files: How Modi and Adani Stole India’. theobserverpost.com · www.livelaw.in · scroll.in
- [● 3 SOURCES] Adani Enterprises Limited filed a defamation suit against Sabeer Bhatia. theobserverpost.com · www.livelaw.in · scroll.in
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Social media platforms must preserve subscriber details and IP access logs for the identified accounts. scroll.in
- [● 3 SOURCES] The court ordered YouTube, X, and Instagram to remove the video and disable access to specific URLs. theobserverpost.com · www.livelaw.in · scroll.in