New Delhi: The Delhi high court has directed the editor-in-chief and a journalist of The Caravan magazine to respond to a Rs 10-crore defamation case filed by Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s son, Nikhil Gadkari, over an article alleging financial links between his company and the sale of bovine meat products, including beef.Nikhil, the managing director of Cian Agro Industries and Infrastructure Ltd, has sought the removal of a March 1, 2026, article titled “Nagpur’s Beef – The Beef Company Enmeshed in Gadkari’s Business Empire” and all related content. The application also seeks to restrain The Caravan from publishing any material deemed ‘false,’ ‘malicious’ or ‘defamatory.’Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice to the defendants on Monday (August 10) seeking an interim injunction on the article, listing the matter for hearing on August 31.The Caravan report, flagged by the plaintiffs, establishes alleged links between Cian Agro and a beef export company named Rembal Agro, citing Cian shares allegedly held by and loans extended to individuals associated to Rembal.Nikhil has argued that his company deals entirely in “vegetarian” agro-based commodities such as frozen vegetables, spices, sugar, edible oils and home care products and that it does not, and never has, held any authorisation for the slaughter, manufacturing and trade of beef or any other bovine meat products.As per The Hindu, Nikhil claimed that he has been deliberately targeted because he is the son of the former national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party and a Union minister.According to a report by Bar and Bench, Nikhil has disputed the allegations lodged against him and Cian Agro as attempts to “falsely portray intimate ties between Cian and Rembal.” The suit read:“The impugned defamatory contents contains a series of false, reckless, misleading and defamatory statements and insinuations which seek to create the wholly incorrect impression that the plaintiffs (including its directors and promoters) are directly or indirectly associated with the trade, processing or export of beef or bovine meat products. Further, the impugned defamatory contents deliberately conflates legally distinct terms such as ‘buff’ (buffalo meat) and ‘beef’ (cow meat), with the evident intention of creating public outrage and communal sensitivity directed against the plaintiffs, its directors / promoters.”Nikhil and Cian Agro also raised contentions about the article being republished and widely disseminated on social media, with several influencers making videos about the article.Varun Pathak, appearing as Meta’s counsel, said the lawsuit did not involve Prashant Bhushan, an advocate who reposted the article on X, and Dhruv Rathee, a social media influencer who made a video about the allegations, reported Bar and Bench.The court has ruled that it would first hear The Caravan’s defence and examine the material on which the article is based to determine whether it rests on verified facts. Any orders concerning limitations on freedom of speech would only be passed thereafter.We have reached out to The Caravan for comment. This report will be updated if they respond.