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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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
