Delhi HC rebukes Abhijit Iyer Mitra, orders takedown of posts against Newslaundry journalists
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed Abhijit Iyer Mitra to remove allegedly defamatory posts from his X (formerly Twitter) account targeting women journalists of the media outlet Newslaundry, before it would proceed to hear his defence in a defamation case.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, while hearing the matter, questioned the appropriateness of the language used in Mitra’s posts. “Can you defend these articles? These kind of languages, whatever may be background, can these kind of language against women \[be] permissible in the society? You must take down this. Then only we will hear you,” the judge reportedly said, according to LiveLaw.
Representing Mitra, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai agreed to comply with the court’s direction and take down the posts immediately.
“The court was of the prima facie view that the nature of the language used by the defendant is not permissible in any civilized society,” the court noted in its observations.
The case stems from a defamation suit filed by nine women journalists of Newslaundry against Mitra, alleging that he posted sexually abusive and derogatory content about them on his social media handle. The suit seeks a public apology and Rs. 2 crore in damages.
The plaintiffs include Newslaundry managing editor Manisha Pande, along with journalists Ishita Pradeep, Suhasini Biswas, Sumedha Mittal, Tista Roy Chowdhury, Tasneem Fatima, Priya Jain, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Priyali Dhingra. Newslaundry itself is also a petitioner in the case.
As interim relief, the petition seeks immediate removal of the objectionable posts from Mitra’s X handle.
The suit accuses Mitra of using misogynistic slurs, including labelling the women as “prostitutes” and calling their workplace a “brothel.” It further alleges that Newslaundry subscribers, comprising professionals across fields such as medicine, law, and education, were collectively referred to in derogatory terms in Hindi.
“No woman/person deserves to be dehumanised. No profession deserves to be weaponised as an insult. These remarks strip women, whether journalists or sex workers, of agency, identity, and respect,” the plea reads.
The plaintiffs argue that Mitra’s posts were “libellous, unfounded and misconceived,” and intended to malign the professional reputation and dignity of the women employees.
In response to the court’s directive, Mitra posted on X that he would comply out of respect for the court, though he continued to describe his posts as “poetic tweets” and reiterated his intent to challenge Newslaundry’s credibility in the main proceedings.
“I have full faith in the Hon’ble Delhi High Court. They have asked me to take down my poetic tweets about NewsLaundry. I am complying with said order in deference to the Court,” he wrote.
He also alleged that Newslaundry’s legal representatives had avoided addressing his claims about the organisation’s funding and journalistic integrity.
In response, Newslaundry’s managing editor Manisha Pande posted a link to an article detailing the media platform’s ownership and funding structure.
The matter is scheduled to be heard again next week.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
