Digital platform Newslaundry has moved Delhi High Court challenging the Centre’s direction to take down multiple reports and videos relating to the Adani group.

The matter was scheduled to be heard by Justice Sachin Datta on Friday, but was not taken up and has now been listed on September 22.

The ministry of information and broadcasting on September 16 asked various news outlets and independent journalists to comply with a senior civil judge’s September 6 order to take down alleged defamatory content on the Adani group. A district judge at the Rohini Court on Thursday quashed that order for four journalists, emphasising that the gag had been issued without hearing the appellants.

Newslaundry has also been asked by the government to remove articles concerning the Adani group. Challenging the ministry’s communication, the digital platform said it was an administrative overreach and an inherently arbitrary exercise of executive power.

Newslaundry also questioned the September 6 court order, saying no summons or notice had been issued to the web portal.

“The impugned order has no legal, statutory and/or constitutional basis in the first place. The government cannot seek compliance of court orders in complete violation of the principles of separation of powers,” Newslaundry said in its petition.

The proceedings before the trial court are a private dispute between a private entity on the one hand, and journalists and private media organisations on the other, the petition contended.

“The civil proceedings are not espousing any public cause before the trial court. The order of the trial court is an ex-parte ad interim injunction. No directions have been issued by the trial court to the respondent to ensure compliance,” the petition said.