Indian Court Has Ordered Takedown of Adani Documentary on Modi

Indian – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – An Indian court has ordered YouTube, X and Instagram to take down a documentary made by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia. The film accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire Gautam Adani of cronyism.

Adani Enterprises filed the lawsuit in the High Court in Kolkata. The company says the film is defamatory and full of false claims.

The company also told the court that some investors had started asking questions after the film went viral. The court did not name those investors.

The film, called “The Friendship Files,” runs for 36 minutes. It has gathered millions of views on social media in recent days.

In its order, the court said the film is not a news report. It called it a dramatised narrative instead.

The order is temporary and will stay in force until January 31, 2027. The court has also stopped Bhatia from sharing the video. Hearings are likely to resume in January.

Adani Enterprises said it does not want to stop fair criticism of government policy or big business. However, it said Bhatia hid important facts.

Bhatia, who lives in the United States, said the lawsuit asks for 500 million rupees, or about $5.25 million, in damages. He wrote on X that “Truth is on my side.” He also said the film had struck a nerve at the highest levels.

The documentary uses old footage to trace the long bond between Modi and Adani. Their story begins in Gujarat, where both men are from.

It also questions Adani’s 2019 win of six airports. Critics say a rule change before the bid favoured his company.

The Adani group and the government deny any favouritism. They say all rules were followed.

Police in Maharashtra had also sent Bhatia a takedown notice on October 19. They said the film made serious claims without proof.

Opposition leaders have kept sharing the film. Raj Thackeray posted it on X and got 4.8 million views, but removed it after a request from the Mumbai police chief. Lawmaker Mahua Moitra said her post from October 11 is still online.