A Delhi court on Tuesday refused to transfer the appeals of digital news platform Newslaundry and journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta to the judge who had granted relief to four journalists by quashing the gag order restraining them from publishing alleged defamatory articles against the Adani group.

Principal district and sessions judge Gurvinder Pal Singh said the appeals challenging the ex parte order would be heard by district judge Sunil Chaudhary on Wednesday.

Chaudhary, who had reserved the order on Guha Thakurta’s plea last week, had on Monday recommended that the case be transferred to district judge Ashish Aggarwal. Aggarwal had on September 18 set aside an order asking four journalists to take down alleged defamatory content against Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL).

When the matter came up before Singh on Tuesday, he refused to transfer the case to Aggarwal. He said he preferred Chaudhary to hear the matter again before reserving the order on Guha Thakurta’s appeal.

Singh observed that propriety demanded that the matter should be decided by the same judge who had already passed the earlier order.

“File of the case be sent back to DJ-4 (district judge Chaudhary) to hear and adjudicate the matter in accordance with law. Parties to appear before the DJ 4 on September 24,” Singh said.

On September 18, Aggarwal had allowed the appeal of the four journalists by observing that the civil judge did not give any opportunity to them while passing the gag order.

Citing the civil judge’s September 6 order, the ministry of information and broadcasting had asked various news outlets and independent journalists to take down alleged defamatory content against the Adani group.

Newslaundry and journalist Ravish Kumar have challenged the ministry’s notification in Delhi High Court, where it is listed for hearing on September 25.