Sanjay Nirupam slapped with Rs 1,000 crore defamation suit by Reliance

Sanjay Nirupam

In response to serious allegations made about its deal with Adani Transmission Limited, the Reliance Group has served a Rs 1,000-crore defamation notice on Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam.

The Reliance Group has asked Nirupam to immediately withdraw and apologise for the statements within 72 hours of receipt of notice and desist from making any more statements concerning the Reliance Group without first ascertaining the facts.

After serving notice through its lawyers on Wednesday, the Anil Ambani-led corporate group said it would also move a contempt petition against Nirupam before the Bombay High Court for making false and baseless allegations, despite the court restraining him in a suit filed by Reliance Infrastructure in another case in 2014.

"Sanjay Nirupam has chosen to brazenly and in sheer contempt of the Hon'ble High Court make such irresponsible false and defamatory statements," said a statement released by Reliance.

It said Nirupam has made several false, frivolous and baseless allegations and defamatory statements on Tuesday (April 03, 2018) in relation to the proposed sale of Reliance Infrastructure's integrated Mumbai Power business to Adani Transmission Ltd and linking the said sale with the purchase of Rafale fighter aircrafts by the Government of India from the Government of France.

The company said the valuation report that Nirupam had referred to while terming a deal with Adani overpriced was of no value in the new transaction. It said the leader had ignored the notes appended to the reports which list the disclaimers. It also said it was wrong to assume that the state regulator would approve a tariff hike at the behest of RInfra or any other utility.

Reliance dismissed allegations that the government of India (PMO, as alleged by Nirupam) had done it any favours in a defence or power deal.