The Delhi High Court said a critical tweet against journalist Rohan Dua “could not be milder” and advised sensitive users to stay off X if they cannot handle criticism. The Court removed one X user from the defamation case after noting that the comment was already deleted.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday made strong oral remarks while hearing a defamation suit filed by journalist Rohan Dua, observing that one of the social media comments flagged by him “could not be milder.” The observation was made by Justice Avneesh Jhingan while examining a post on X (formerly Twitter) that criticised Dua’s interview with Indian shooter Manu Bhaker.
After reading the flagged tweet in open court, Justice Jhingan remarked,
“It cannot be milder than this. If you people are so touchy, then don’t go on the platform (X/ Twitter).”
The Court thereafter ordered that the concerned X user be removed from the list of defendants in the defamation case.
The order came after the counsel appearing for the X user informed the Court that the impugned comment had already been deleted. Recording this submission, the Court added that if the tweet had not been deleted as claimed, the same should be taken down within two days.
Rohan Dua is the founder of a digital news platform called The New Indian. In 2024, he interviewed Manu Bhaker after she won two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics.
A short clip from the interview later went viral on social media. In the clip, Dua was seen asking Bhaker about photographs of her and her mother with fellow Olympian Neeraj Chopra that had circulated widely online.
During the interview, Dua asked,
“It may be a little trivial question and awkward to ask you but since, of course, the others have also asked so, I may ask you this question. Not that I mean to demean your medal or your efforts. But then, of course, the photos went viral with that of Neeraj. I don’t know if you see it as a compliment but, of course, you are one of the most attractive females, beautiful females, in Indian’s history of Olympics or this sport particularly. Are we right to assume that there was some sort of a chemistry or it was just that he [Neeraj Chopra] wanted to snub it as one off moment which someone clicked?”
Following the circulation of the clip, an X user named Roshan Rai, who is a defendant in the suit, shared the video and criticised the line of questioning.
In his post, Rai wrote,
“Manu Bhaker came back after winning a double bronze for India at the #Paris2024 Olympics at 22. But the reporter can’t get over how beautiful and attractive she is. This is the level of Indian Journalism. What a shame,”
Several other social media users also reposted the video, calling the question “sexist” and branding the interviewer as “unprofessional.” According to Dua, these posts harmed his professional reputation.
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He approached the Delhi High Court seeking removal of such comments, arguing that they falsely portrayed him as sexist and inappropriate, and unfairly shifted focus away from Bhaker’s sporting achievements.
On September 2, 2024, the High Court granted interim relief in Dua’s favour and ordered the takedown of multiple such posts.
This interim order was passed after Dua’s lawyers submitted an affidavit stating that Bhaker had liked Dua’s post sharing the interview, which, according to him, showed that she had taken no offence to the question.
However, a few days later, the Court vacated its interim order in respect of a tweet posted by journalist Abhishek Baxi. The Court held, on a prima facie view, that there was nothing defamatory in Baxi’s comment.
On Monday, the Court was hearing an application seeking deletion of another X user, Mirza Arif Baig, from the array of defendants. Baig’s counsel argued that his client’s comment was not defamatory in nature.
He further pointed out that Baig had a limited presence on X, with fewer than 1,600 followers, and posed no serious reputational threat to Dua.
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The counsel also submitted that the comment had already been deleted to avoid any further complications. Taking note of these submissions, the Court directed that if the comment had not been deleted, it must be removed within two days.
The Court then concluded,
“In view of the above, the defendant shall be deleted,”
and ordered Baig’s removal from the case.
The matter will now be taken up next on March 14, 2026.
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