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A sessions court in Gujarat's Gandhinagar on Thursday (September 24, 2026) granted bail to journalist Ravi Nair, a week after he was arrested over his non-appearance in connection with a criminal defamation case filed by Adani Enterprises.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Ashish J S Malhotra allowed Mr. Nair's plea for bail in his arrest on September 17 after a non-bailable warrant (NBW) was issued against him by the same court, his lawyer Ronith Joy said.
The court issued the NBW against him for his failure to personally appear before it during a hearing in an appeal against his conviction in the case.
"His bail application was moved in the sessions court on Saturday and it was heard on Monday. Today, the court allowed his plea," Mr. Nair's lawyer said.
Along with his bail plea in the sessions court, Mr. Nair also moved a plea for a stay on the NBW in the Gujarat High Court, which on Wednesday refused to grant him interim relief while questioning Mr. Nair's lawyer for not disclosing that he had also filed for bail in the matter before the sessions court.
The high court observed that had it been informed, it may not have granted permission for an urgent hearing in the matter on Saturday.
On February 10, 2026, Mr. Nair was sentenced by a Mansa court in Gandhinagar to undergo an imprisonment of one year in a criminal defamation suit filed by Adani Enterprises on September 3, 2021 over certain tweets and articles attributed to him.
The journalist challenged his conviction in an appellate court in Gandhinagar, which granted him bail on March 9, 2026 on the condition that he remains present during the hearing of his appeal.
He, however, could not remain personally present at the hearing held on September 3, 2026 due to poor health as he had to travel from his native state Kerala, his lawyers said.
The appellate court rejected his plea for exemption from personal appearance and issued a NBW against him. On September 17, the court directed that the petitioner be taken into custody, and he was accordingly sent to jail.
A sessions court in Gujarat's Gandhinagar on Thursday (September 24, 2026) granted bail to journalist Ravi Nair, a week after he was arrested over his non-appearance in connection with a criminal defamation case filed by Adani Enterprises.