Delhi HC Condemns Abhijit Iyer Mitra’s Language, Orders Removal of Offensive Posts
Delhi High Court Takes Action Against Political Commentator
The Delhi High Court has strongly condemned political commentator Abhijit Iyer Mitra for his highly controversial social media posts targeting nine women employees of the digital news portal Newslaundry.
Offensive Language and Threats
The court found the language used by Mitra to be unacceptable in any civilised society. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav warned Mitra of potential criminal action. The journalists, represented by their lawyer, sought a permanent injunction against Mitra to prevent further defamatory and harmful statements.
Mitra’s Lawyer Apologizes, Posts to Be Removed
Initially, Mitra’s lawyer, Jai Anant Dehadrai, argued that while the language might be deemed “filthy,” the journalists lacked the legal standing to file a civil claim. However, the court expressed its disapproval of Dehadrai’s argument, stating that the language used was unacceptable.
Facing the court’s strong stance, Dehadrai ultimately apologized for Mitra’s choice of words and agreed to remove the offensive posts within five hours. The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 26.
The Journalists’ Case
The Newslaundry journalists, including executive editor Manisha Pande, accused Mitra of making defamatory, false, and malicious allegations against them. They claimed that Mitra deliberately used derogatory terms like “prostitute” and “brothel” to tarnish their reputation and discourage subscriptions to their platform, causing significant financial losses.
Seeking Damages
The journalists also sought damages worth Rs 2 crore, arguing that Mitra’s actions were unfounded, libellous, and intended to harm their professional standing and personal dignity.
