'Intimidation Thrown Out': Delhi High Court Dismisses Vantara's Contempt Plea To Delete Story ((Photo screengrab on X THE SKIN DOCTOR @theskindoctor13))
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court last month rejected a contempt petition filed by Anant Ambani-led Vantara, demanding the deletion of an article published in the online magazine, Himal Southasian.
The news portal carried out an in-depth investigation that reportedly uncovered serious concerns with the wildlife project. The investigative story about the controversial wildlife project established by the Reliance corporation and led by the billionaire Ambani family, alleged several issues in the Vantara wildlife project, including the suspicious sourcing of its animals and potential ill-treatment of elephants.
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The article, titled “The costs of Reliance’s wildlife ambitions” was prepared by independent reporter, M Rajshekhar. Vantara had filed the contempt plea against the news portal and its editor and alleged that the magazine willfully disobeyed a judicial order to take down an investigative story on the wildlife project published in March 2024.
However, the court held that there was no judicial order or direction passed by the Court against Himal Southasian requiring the magazine to remove the story, and hence the issue of contempt did not arise.
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Justice Anish Dayal rejected the plea filed by Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Center Society and Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Center Society, both are constituent parts of Vantara.
In a statement released by Himal Southasian, the news portal said that Vantara made an attempt to legally intimidate and remove an article that raises pertinent questions about the Vantara project, adding that the court, however, did not allow this legal machination to succeed.
“The litigation initiated by Vantara was in the nature of a SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) suit, meant to throttle freedom of the press and public debate on issues of public interest,” the magazine’s statement reads.
Hailing the order, social commentator Prapthi wrote, “Anant Ambani’s Vantara tried to intimidate the South Himalayas into deleting an investigative story about suspicious sourcing of its animals. Thankfully, the courts threw out the plea.”
Anant Ambani’s Vantara tried to intimidate Himal Southasian into deleting an investigative story about suspicious sourcing of its animals. Thankfully, the courts threw out the plea.https://t.co/Tht90qwrrg
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— Prapthi (@prapthi_m) June 16, 2025
