Mumbai: Essar Group , the energy conglomerate, has sued Greenpeace India for Rs500 in a defamation suit, the environmental activist group said on Monday.

Greenpeace said in a statement the conglomerate has filed a suit in the Bombay high court against Greenpeace India and Mahan Sangharsh Samiti (MSS), an organization established to defend the rights of those who derive their livelihood from the Mahan forests.

“The defendants have made certain imputations as a consequence of which immense damage has been caused to its reputation, goodwill and to brand Essar," a group spokesperson said in a statement.

On 22 January, Greenpeace ambushed the Essar Group by rolling down a huge poster saying, “I Kill Forests: Essar" on the façade of the Essar headquarters in Mumbai.

“These are bullying tactics, plain and simple. Essar is trying to sue us for an amount that is multiple times more than our annual income, which comes from our committed individual supporters," said Samit Aich, executive director of Greenpeace India.

The protest relates to Essar Power’s plans to start mining at Mahan in Madhya Pradesh, one of the oldest deciduous forests of India. The ambush was carried out by 12 Greenpeace activists who scaled the 180ft-high building in tiger costumes, carrying the 36ftx72ft banner.

The banner also featured photographs of environment minister M. Veerappa Moily and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On 23 January, all 67 Greenpeace activists who were detained for the protest were released on bail.

The coal block in the Mahan forest was granted to Mahan Coal Ltd, a joint venture of Essar Power and Hindalco Industries Ltd, in 2006. The venture was granted an in-principle approval for mining by the environment ministry on 18 October, 2012, after pressure from a group of ministers on coal mining. The approval came with 36 conditions, requiring a range of studies to be completed and the processes under the forest rights law to be complied with.

There are 62 villages that depend on the Mahan forest for their livelihood.

Note: The amount involved in the suit has been revised in the article after a clarification by Greenpeace

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Share Via

Click here to read the Mint ePapermint is now on Telegram. Join mint channel in your Telegram and stay updated