Abhijit Iyer Mitra has approached the Delhi High Court seeking dismissal of a defamation suit filed by nine Newslaundry journalists over alleged abusive social media posts. The case, which seeks ₹2 crore in damages and a written apology, has been listed for further hearing.
New Delhi: In a major legal development, commentator Abhijit Iyer Mitra has moved the Delhi High Court seeking dismissal of a defamation case filed against him by nine women journalists working with digital media platform Newslaundry.
The case relates to serious allegations that Mitra made abusive and offensive remarks against the journalists through a post on social media platform X, which the plaintiffs claim damaged their personal reputation and professional credibility.
During the hearing, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav questioned the basis of the application filed by Mitra for dismissal of the suit.
In response, Mitra’s counsel submitted that the main arguing counsel was not available on that day and requested the court to reschedule the matter. Accepting the request, the court listed the case for further hearing on February 26, 2026.
The defamation suit filed by the nine journalists seeks multiple forms of relief, including an injunction to restrain Mitra from making further such statements, a written apology, and compensation of Rs 2 crore as damages.
The plaintiffs have stated that Mitra’s posts contained “defamatory, false, malicious and unsubstantiated allegations” which, according to them, were aimed at insulting and humiliating them publicly.
Earlier, the counsel representing the women journalists informed the court that Mitra had used “derogatory terms and slurs” not only against the individuals but also against the Newslaundry organisation as a whole.
The lawyers argued that such language crossed all limits of acceptable criticism and amounted to a deliberate attempt to harm their dignity and image.
It was also pointed out that Mitra allegedly carried out a series of aggressive and hostile online attacks, targeting the journalists repeatedly through his posts.
In response to this, Mitra’s legal representative had previously admitted that the words used were inappropriate and confirmed that the posts would be taken down, acknowledging that the language employed was not suitable.
The plea further highlighted that the impact of Mitra’s remarks extended beyond the journalists alone.
It stated that offensive comments were also made against Newslaundry and its wide range of subscribers, which include professionals such as doctors, lawyers, judges, teachers, scientists, architects and engineers, thereby affecting the reputation of the organisation in the public domain.
As the matter now awaits its next hearing, the case continues to draw attention as an important example of how Indian courts are dealing with social media conduct, freedom of speech and the legal boundaries of online criticism in the digital age.
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