Moneylife moves Delhi court against takedown order issued over Sterling Biotech reportage

Finance news portal Moneylife on Tuesday moved a Delhi court against a trial court order directing takedown and de-indexing of reports and videos relating to Manoj Kesarichand Sandesara, his family and the Sterling Biotech bank fraud [Moneywise Vs Manoj Kesarichand Sandesara].

District Judge Sunil Choudhary of Tis Hazari Courts heard the matter and recorded an undertaking on behalf of Sandesara that he would not seek any further takedown.

The case will now be heard on July 14.

The appeal was filed challenging a May 16 order passed by a senior civil judge in Sandesara’s suit against Google LLC and others.

The order restrained Moneylife from publishing, republishing or circulating further content relating to Sandesara and his family name in connection with Sterling Biotech Limited and bank fraud.

It also directed de-indexing, de-listing and de-referencing of specified URLs and “such other links not known to the Plaintiff” relating to the subject matter.

Moneylife has argued in its appeal that the civil judge's order is sweeping and directly affects journalistic reporting and infringes its fundamental rights under Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (freedom of speech) and 21 (right to liberty) of the Constitution.

According to its plea, the order “effectively chokes” reporting, publication or criticism concerning Sandesara, his family and the Sterling Biotech case.

Moneylife’s affected content includes reports and videos published between 2019 and 2026. These include reports on ED action, fugitive economic offender proceedings, debt settlement proposals and related developments in the Sterling Biotech matter

The appeal said there is no law permitting “dynamic injunctions” against press publications in defamation cases.

As per the appeal, the trial court failed to apply the Supreme Court’s test in Bloomberg Television Production Services India v. Zee Entertainment Enterprises for pre-trial injunctions in defamation cases.

The civil judge did not identify the specific statements which were allegedly defamatory, false or malicious, Moneylife contended.

The Sterling Biotech matter stems from allegations of large-scale bank fraud involving Sterling Biotech Limited and companies linked to the Sandesara family. The Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a case in 2017 alleging fraud of around ₹5,383 crore against a consortium of banks led by Andhra Bank.

The Enforcement Directorate later attached Indian and overseas assets of the Sandesara group. Reports have pegged the attached assets at around ₹9,700 crore. The ED case alleged that loan funds were diverted, layered and laundered through domestic and offshore entities.

The matter later reached the Supreme Court. In November 2025, the Court agreed to drop criminal proceedings against Nitin and Chetan Sandesara if they deposited ₹5,100 crore as part of a settlement. Reuters reported that the brothers had fled India in 2017 using Albanian passports and had denied wrongdoing

Advocates Apar Gupta, Indumugi C, Naman Kumar and Avanti Deshpande appeared for Moneylife.

Advocates Saurabh Rajput, Hemant Shah and Anunaya Mehta appeared for Sandesara.

[Read Order]