Nine women journalists from Newslaundry have filed a Rs 2 crore defamation suit against Abhijit Iyer-Mitra in Delhi High Court. They allege he called them “prostitutes” and their workplace a “brothel” in a series of online posts.
New Delhi: Today, On May 20, Newslaundry’s Executive Editor Manisha Pande and eight other women journalists have filed a defamation case in the Delhi High Court against Abhijit Iyer-Mitra.
The reason behind this legal action is that Iyer-Mitra allegedly called them “prostitutes” and described their workplace as a “brothel” through several social media posts.
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The defamation suit mentions that between February and May 2025, Iyer-Mitra made eight “revolting posts” on X (formerly known as Twitter).
These posts have been considered extremely offensive and damaging.
Because of these posts, the journalists are asking the Delhi High Court to stop him from publishing any more such defamatory statements in the future.
According to the suit,
“By referring to the Plaintiff Nos. 1 to 9 as prostitutes, repeatedly, in a series of posts and articles, the Defendant No. 1 [Iyer-Mitra] has clearly launched a series of scathing and belligerent attacks against the Plaintiffs. As such, the Defendant No. 1 cannot be permitted to disseminate falsities, only with the oblique motive to gain cheap publicity and eyeballs.”
The journalists are seeking a written apology from Iyer-Mitra and are demanding Rs 2 crore as compensation for the damage to their dignity and professional reputation.
They have clearly stated in their petition that they are young women working in the media industry.
They say that the statements made by Iyer-Mitra are not just an insult to their professional reputation but also deeply affected them personally.
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These statements have caused them
“enormous mental trauma, harassment and embarrassment to them, amongst peers, friends and family”.
The legal suit further says,
“The statements made by the Defendant No. 1 are per se defamatory. The content of the Defendant No. 1 is also a criminal offence, and is liable to be removed from all media including social media websites, and is an affront to free speech.”
The defamation case has been filed by advocates Uddhav Khanna and Dhruva Vig on behalf of the nine women journalists.
The case highlights how online abuse and public shaming through social media can have serious legal consequences, especially when it targets individuals with defamatory and degrading remarks.
This legal action is seen as a strong step taken by the journalists to protect their personal dignity and professional image.
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It also brings attention to the need for accountability on social media platforms and respect for journalistic integrity and free expression.
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