New Delhi, 16 March (H.S.): The Supreme Court declined to hear journalist Ravi Nair's petition challenging a notice from Gujarat's Crime Branch over his critical article on the Adani Group, directing him to the appropriate High Court instead.

A bench led by Justice Vikram Nath questioned why Nair invoked Article 32 directly when the jurisdictional High Court could address it first. Nair's counsel countered that the issue implicated fundamental rights, particularly freedom of expression.

The February 12 notice, purportedly based on a complaint by Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd., required Nair's appearance on February 19 for inquiry into a Washington Post piece co-authored with Pranshu Verma, then New Delhi bureau chief.

Senior advocate Anand Grover alleged three Adani-filed cases harass Nair, with the Crime Branch acting beyond jurisdiction.

Nair has faced prior legal battles, including a recent Gujarat conviction in a related defamation suit, underscoring tensions over press scrutiny of corporate giants.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar