Full Breakdown
Raj Thackeray Deletes “Friendship Files” Documentary Amid Police Request and Court-Ordered Takedown
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On October 25 2026, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray announced that he had removed from his social-media accounts a 36-minute documentary titled *The Friendship Files* (also known as *How Modi and Adani Stole India*). The deletion followed a direct request conveyed through the Mumbai Police Commissioner. The film, produced by tech entrepreneur Sabeer Bhatia (co-founder of Hotmail), alleges a long-standing friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani, and claims the Adani Group benefits from preferential treatment.
Background & Context
The documentary was first uploaded to Bhatia’s YouTube channel on October 9 2026 in collaboration with the channel “Shadow Citizens.” It quickly spread on X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms, prompting legal notices from Mumbai police on October 18 to 24 X users for “false, misleading and disparaging” content.
Adani Enterprises Limited filed a civil defamation suit seeking damages and a permanent injunction against Bhatia and the platforms hosting the video. The Calcutta High Court, hearing the case on October 26 2026, issued an interim order barring further publication, uploading, or sharing of the video and any materially identical reproductions.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 9 2026 | Bhatia uploads the 36-minute video to YouTube and posts it on X. |
| October 18 2026 | Mumbai Police issue legal notices to 24 X account holders who shared the video. |
| October 22 2022 | Thackeray previously reposted the documentary (historical reference). |
| October 25 2026 | Thackeray deletes the documentary after police request. |
| October 26 2026 | Calcutta High Court issues interim injunction; Justice Aryak Dutt sets the order to remain in force until January 31 2027. |
| January 31 2027 (scheduled) | The injunction is slated for review; the case will be heard by the regular bench. |
Official Statements & Responses
- The court emphasized that the injunction does not restrain constructive criticism or fair reporting on the Adani Group or government policy.
- Adani Enterprises Ltd. – Counsel argued that the right to reputation is integral to Article 21 of the Constitution and that the video’s alleged factual imputations could cause irreparable injury not compensable by money.
Criticism & Opposition
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande questioned the police’s involvement, asking:
— Sandeep Deshpande
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Viewership figures differ: Thackeray cites “over 4.8 million” X views, while court-filed evidence records “? 40,000” X views and “46,134” YouTube views on the first day. Both numbers appear in source material, and the discrepancy is not resolved in the public record.
- The exact legal basis for the police’s notice to X users is described only as “false, misleading and disparaging” content; the specific statutes invoked by the police are not detailed in the sources.
What Comes Next
- The interim injunction will stay in effect until January 31 2027, when the Calcutta High Court will hear the matter on the regular bench.
- Platforms (YouTube, X, Instagram) must preserve subscriber data, IP logs, and advertising revenue records for the identified URLs and submit basic subscriber information for unidentified accounts within two weeks of the order.
- Raj Thackeray has indicated that his broader campaign against “monopolistic practices” will continue, separate from the documentary’s removal.