The Bombay High Court today accepted an affidavit filed by the Essar House alleging that leaked intelligence reports have suggested that environmental NGO Greenpeace India is funded by foreign donors.
Greenpeace India's lawyer objected to the affidavit, which refers to leaked Intelligence Bureau report, saying the issue was not relevant to the defamation suit filed by Essar against it.
However, Justice S C Gupte took the affidavit on record, while adjourning the matter to August 7 when Greenpeace would be filing a reply.
Essar House alleges in the affidavit that the campaign carried out by Greenpeace India against it was "motivated, controlled and instigated by external vested interests".
The company has requested the court to restrain the NGO from publishing defamatory material with respect to Essar's proposed coal-fired power plant at Mahan in Madhya Pradesh.
Essar filed the defamation suit after the volunteers of Greenpeace unfurled a huge banner from the Essar House at Mahalaxmi here saying "we kill forests" earlier this year.
Greenpeace and other defendants "acted maliciously and with a oblique motive of somehow furthering their narrow political agenda at the cost of the Essar Group's image, reputation and goodwill", Essar's notice of motion (an application filed within the main suit) says.
The affidavit refers to media reports saying that IB, in a confidential report to the Centre, had said that Greenpeace is funded by supporters based in US and Europe, primarily in Germany, Netherlands and Scandinavian countries, whose intention appears to be negatively impacting economic development in India and the domestic coal sector in particular.
"It is but obvious that the development of domestic coal fields will reduce dependence on imported coal and hurt the economic interests of foreign coal producers and/or sellers," the affidavit states.
