Gadkari son’s firm sends ₹50cr defamation notice to magazine over ‘beef trade’ allegations

Nagpur: A Nagpur-based listed company, CIAN Agro Industries and Infrastructure Limited, issued a legal notice of ₹50 crore in damages and demanded immediate removal of an article published by a magazine, alleging it falsely linked the firm and its promoters to beef trade. The company is owned by Nikhil, son of Union minister for transport Nitin Gadkari.The notice, sent through counsel Meera Kaura Patel to the publication, social media platforms, and regulatory bodies, describes the article titled "Nagpur's Beef" as "defamatory, false, communally incendiary and malicious", and calls for its removal within 24 hours. It also seeks a public apology and a commitment against future publication of similar claims.The company denied any involvement in meat processing or exports, stating it operates exclusively in "manufacturing and trading of agro-based commodities, including frozen vegetables, spices, sugar, edible oils, and allied products". It added that it has "never held any licence relating to slaughter, processing, trading or export of beef or bovine meat products".At the core of the dispute is the article's alleged attempt to link the company with third-party entities. The legal notice further argues that the publication relied on unverified claims, particularly from an individual involved in a commercial dispute, and "amplifies his unverified claims without independent evidence". It contends the report itself acknowledges the absence of wrongdoing.Calling the article a "deliberate exercise in reputational sabotage", the company alleges it selectively assembled information to create "a false narrative" and used "sensational and inflammatory" presentation to provoke public outrage. It specifically objects to the mention of beef, arguing it was intended to "create communal outrage".The notice invokes provisions under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Information Technology Rules, and the Press Council's norms, asserting the publication constitutes criminal defamation, public mischief, and conduct prejudicial to social harmony.Beyond the publishers, the notice was also sent to social media platforms, seeking removal, data preservation, and prevention of further circulation. The company warned that failure to comply will trigger simultaneous civil and criminal proceedings, including claims for damages, injunctions, and regulatory action.Rs50 cr suit & cyber cell FIRA ₹50 crore defamation suit was filed against a YouTuber for allegedly maligning Union minister Nitin Gadkari's image through social media videos, sources said. The controversy stems from claims linking Gadkari to a beef sale case. The BJP IT cell initiated legal action after the videos went viral around two months ago. A cyber cell probe subsequently registered a case and identified the accused as Mohan, who allegedly created the content. The lawsuit follows findings during the investigation, officials said.