Gujarat HC raps journalist Ravi Nair for urgently seeking anti-arrest hearing without publishing bail application

Freelance journalist Ravi Nair. File. Credit: X/@t_d_h_nair

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) reprimanded journalist Ravi Nair for seeking an urgent hearing on his plea against arrest in a criminal defamation case filed by Adani Enterprises without saying that he had also approached a lower court seeking bail.

Disposing of his plea, single justice MK Thakkar noted that the sessions court had already granted him bail last week.

The bench came down hard on Mr. Nair’s counsel for seeking an urgent hearing in the high court on September 19 without disclosing before it the fact that he had also approached the appellate court for his client’s bail.

“According to the settled law of the apex court… a party invoking the extraordinary jurisdiction of this court is expected to approach the court with utmost honesty, candor and openness. Such a party is bound to disclose all material facts without reservation, even if such facts would be contrary to his case,” the HC said in the order.

On September 24, the Gandhinagar-based Court of Appeal granted Mr. Nair bail, a week after he was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in person during a hearing in an appeal against a conviction in a criminal defamation case.

After his arrest, his lawyers filed a plea in the HC seeking to quash the court’s session order, rejecting his plea to quash the warrant against him, which led to his arrest.

At the same time, Mr. Nair’s lawyer filed an application in the same Court of Appeal seeking bail, which was granted by an order dated September 24.

KS stated in its resolution that, following the development, the court refrains from issuing any resolution on the merits and any statement on the challenged resolution, thereby settling the motion.

On 10 February this year, the Mansa Court in Gandhinagar sentenced the journalist to one year of imprisonment in a criminal defamation case filed by Adani Enterprises on 3 September 2021 for certain tweets and articles attributed to him.

Mr. Nair challenged his conviction in the Gandhinagar Appellate Court, which granted him bail on March 9, 2026 on the condition that he remain present during the hearing of his appeal.

However, due to ill health, he could not be present in person at the hearing held on September 3 as he has to travel from his home state of Keralam, his lawyers said.

The Court of Appeals denied his request for relief from personal appearance and issued a non-bail order against him. On 17 September, the court ordered that the petitioner be remanded in custody and therefore remanded in custody.

Published – 30 Sep 2026 15:58 IST