A team of the Gujarat Police Crime Branch carried out a search at the Delhi residence of independent journalist Ravi Nair on Monday, August 17, and seized electronic devices as part of an investigation into an FIR alleging defamation and forgery connected to reporting on the Adani Group, officials said.
What was seized
Police recovered multiple gadgets from the premises; officials said the haul included devices belonging to Nair and others present at the home. The items taken into custody were:
- Three laptops
- Two mobile phones
- One iPad
| Item | Reported ownership |
|---|---|
| Three laptops | One belonged to Nair, one to his son, one to a colleague (as reported) |
| Two phones | Old phones stored in a cupboard, ownership attributed to household members |
| One iPad | Present at residence; collected during search |
Police action and legal basis
The Gujarat Police team was accompanied by personnel from the Delhi Police, officials said, and executed the search on the basis of a warrant issued by a Magistrate Court in Ahmedabad. A senior Gujarat Police official described the seizure as being carried out “
as per the law”.
At the time of the operation, Nair was not present at his residence; those at the house said he had travelled to Kerala. A colleague and Nair’s son were at the home when officials arrived at about 2:40 pm, according to the colleague. She told reporters that the officials produced a search warrant and collected the gadgets.
Case background
The action follows a complaint and an FIR registered by the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on May 29 relating to an article and posts on X attributed to Nair concerning the Adani Group. The FIR includes allegations of defamation and forgery, as reported by legal filings and police records.
On August 11, the Gujarat High Court declined to quash the DCB FIR. The court observed that the allegations in the FIR were materially different from an earlier private defamation complaint and, on a prima facie reading, indicated cognisable offences that warranted investigation, the order shows.
Reporting context
The contested reporting includes coverage of a Washington Post article that said the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) had been directed to make large investments in Adani Group companies. The FIR and subsequent probe have focused on the publication and social media posts linked to those allegations.
The involvement of the Gujarat Crime Branch in a search carried out in the national capital, assisted by Delhi Police, highlights the cross-jurisdictional steps being taken in an investigation with national corporate and financial implications. Officials emphasised that the search was executed under judicial authorisation from Ahmedabad.
Reactions and next steps
Those present at the house said officials examined and collected the devices; further details on whether forensic copies were taken were not immediately available. The colleague who was at the residence described the sequence of events and the items removed during the search.
“The officials showed us a search warrant and collected some gadgets. There were three laptops, two old phones that were kept in a cupboard, and one iPad,” a colleague at the residence said.
Police and court records indicate the probe will now proceed with forensic examination of the seized devices as part of the ongoing investigation under the Ahmedabad FIR. Authorities have not released a public timetable for further action.
The case sits at the intersection of press reporting, defamation law and alleged document-related offences. It has drawn attention because of the national profile of the companies mentioned in the reporting and because the legal proceedings have involved both Gujarat and Delhi authorities.
Further developments—including any formal charges, forensic findings or court filings—will determine whether the matter proceeds to trial or is disposed of through settlement or other legal remedies. For now, the seizure marks a significant procedural step in the DCB’s investigation.
