Edelweiss ARC’s bid to intimidate a journalist by invoking the Bombay High Court collapses on verification
EDELWEISS ASSET RECONSTRUCTION Company Limited’s attempt to silence independent reporting with a ₹100-crore defamation suit and a request for ex-parte gag orders has unravelled after Punjab Today discovered that the Interim Application (IA) cited in the company’s legal notice does not exist in the Bombay High Court’s official record.
The Edelweiss gag attempt, centred on a claimed Interim Application for urgent ex-parte orders, collapsed immediately once the Court’s records were checked.
On 18 November 2025, Edelweiss ARC’s advocate, Gaurav Sharma of ASG Partners, emailed Punjab Today Editor Kanwar Manjit Singh claiming that Interim Application (L) No. 35288/2025—purportedly filed along with Suit (L) No. 33760/2025—would be mentioned the next morning for urgent ad-interim and ex-parte reliefs before Justice Milind Jadhav.
The notice warned that failure to appear could result in ex-parte orders and attached documents presented as the plaint and the interim application.
Bombay High Court records show no Interim Application linked to the suit
However, verification of the Bombay High Court portal shows no such Interim Application in existence. The system reflects no listing, no registration, no hearing stage and no trace of IA (L) 35288/2025.
The “Connected Matters” section for Lodging No. S/33760/2025 shows zero linked Interim Applications, contradicting the assertion made in the notice.
The suit itself remains at pre-admission stage, with registry objections—including improper verification, missing affidavits and unmarked exhibits—still unresolved.
The absence of the IA from official court records means it could not have been listed or heard, and the claim of an imminent ex-parte hearing appears unsupported by any judicial record.
Commentary on departures linked to Edelweiss governance issues
Punjab Today has written to Edelweiss Group Chairman Rashesh Shah, Edelweiss ARC’s legal team and the advocate concerned, seeking clarification on why a non-existent IA number was cited and whether the company stands by the representations made.
The communication also raises concerns about whether the notice amounts to an attempt to intimidate or silence a journalist reporting on matters of public interest. Punjab Today has indicated that it is examining appropriate remedies, including a possible Bar Council complaint.
Gag Attempt Collapses at Scrutiny Stage
The ₹100-crore defamation suit and its accompanying interim application sought sweeping reliefs: the removal of Punjab Today articles, blocking of social-media posts on X, disclosure of analytics data and devices, a forced apology, and a prohibition on future reporting.
Edelweiss Under Siege: Regulators and agencies closing in
These demands followed Punjab Today’s investigative reports raising serious questions about Edelweiss ARC’s conduct, including allegations of forged assignment-deed material, questionable affidavits under Section 14 of the SARFAESI Act, and the possession action of 25 July 2024.
Yet the filings never crossed the first procedural hurdle. Registry objections recorded on 18 October 2025 were not cured, resulting in the IA never being admitted or listed.
This development follows a series of Punjab Today investigations into the Edelweiss Group under Rashesh Shah, which have highlighted increasing regulatory pressure, courtroom challenges and persistent questions over the company’s conduct.
A detailed report, Edelweiss Under Siege: Regulators, Courts and Taxmen Close In traced how multiple agencies are examining the Group.
Punjab Today has also published commentary on Edelweiss’s legal posture in Edelweiss: Why I Won’t Read This Lawyer’s Cease-and-Desist and the article Edelweiss, Common Sense Is No Monopoly of Your Lawyers which critiqued the company’s recurring use of aggressive legal notices.
Earlier Warning Signs: A Pattern Emerges
This is also not the first instance where Edelweiss’s lawyers have issued notices lacking factual basis or proper authorisation. Earlier, another EARC lawyer, Advocate Harsh Chopra, LLM, London, sent a defamation notice purportedly on behalf of Edelweiss employee Nikhil Arya.
Edelweiss, Common Sense: Critique of the company’s legal approach
When Kanwar Manjit Singh sought a basic authorisation or written confirmation from Arya, neither Chopra nor Arya responded, and no authority was ever produced to support the notice.
Punjab Today subsequently discussed Edelweiss’s broader pattern of legal overreach in Edelweiss, Common Sense Is No Monopoly of Your Lawyers which referred to Singh’s detailed rejoinder to Edelweiss’s senior leadership and placed such conduct within a wider critique of the company’s approach to facts, affidavits and legal processes.
It Reveals Everything They Want to Hide
Reacting to the latest development, Punjab Today Editor Kanwar Manjit Singh said:
“When a corporation tries to silence a journalist with ₹100-crore lawsuits and ex-parte gag requests—but the filing collapses at the scrutiny stage, and the IA they cite does not even exist in the Court system—it reveals everything about the facts they want to hide. Punjab Today stands firm.”
Paper Ghosts: Alleged forged assignment deed highlighted in earlier investigation
The incident raises broader concerns about how large financial institutions deploy legal threats—or the appearance of legal process—to deter investigative journalism.
The invocation of a non-existent court filing, combined with the suggestion of imminent ex-parte action, sits uneasily with principles of transparency and procedural fairness — particularly for a company already facing scrutiny before the Debt Recovery Tribunal, the District Magistrate, the Vigilance Bureau, and in a defamation suit pending before the Patiala courts.
Note: Punjab Today sought comments from Rashesh Shah and senior officials of Edelweiss ARC, but no response was received until the time of publication. The investigation continues. 
__________
Also Read:
Freedom of Speech in India: Why Criticism of the Government Is Not Sedition
Edelweiss Under Siege: Regulators, Courts and Taxmen Close In
Team PT
punjabtodaynews@gmail.com
Disclaimer : PunjabTodayNews.com and other platforms of the Punjab Today group strive to include views and opinions from across the entire spectrum, but by no means do we agree with everything we publish. Our efforts and editorial choices consistently underscore our authors’ right to the freedom of speech. However, it should be clear to all readers that individual authors are responsible for the information, ideas or opinions in their articles, and very often, these do not reflect the views of PunjabTodayNews.com or other platforms of the group. Punjab Today does not assume any responsibility or liability for the views of authors whose work appears here.
Punjab Today believes in serious, engaging, narrative journalism at a time when mainstream media houses seem to have given up on long-form writing and news television has blurred or altogether erased the lines between news and slapstick entertainment. We at Punjab Today believe that readers such as yourself appreciate cerebral journalism, and would like you to hold us against the best international industry standards. Brickbats are welcome even more than bouquets, though an occasional pat on the back is always encouraging. Good journalism can be a lifeline in these uncertain times worldwide. You can support us in myriad ways. To begin with, by spreading word about us and forwarding this reportage. Stay engaged.
— Team PT