Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group files ₹7,000 crore defamation suit against The Citizen’s Seema Mustafa

Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure Limited & Others has filed a ₹7,000 crore defamation suit against Seema Mustafa, founder-editor of The Citizen. According to The Citizen, “the suit follows our coverage on the Rafale defence deal”.

The Citizen released a statement asking for support and solidarity, saying it was “difficult to say more” as the matter is sub-judice. The statement said:

“The Citizen is a non funded news organization that takes pride in honesty, courage and independence. We believe in professional integrity and maintain a code of ethics centering on public trust, truthfulness, fairness, integrity, independence and accountability. We are determined to fight for the truth…

“We have rejected Ambani’s charges in toto and thank Senior Advocate, Colin Gonsalves and his legal team including Shreeji Bhavsar, Advocate for their amazing support.

“We reject attempts to silence the media, and believe that an independent media—devoid of political or corporate funding—is crucial to the future of journalism. #TheCitizenIsYou”

In September, Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group had filed a ₹5,000 crore defamation suit against National Herald claiming one of its published articles on the Rafale deal was “libellous and derogatory”.