Commentator Abhijit Iyer-Mitra on Friday moved the Delhi High Court seeking dismissal of a defamation suit filed against him by nine women journalists of the media platform Newslaundry, who have accused him of posting abusive and derogatory remarks on X (formerly Twitter).
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who was hearing the matter, asked Mitra’s counsel to explain the purpose of the application. The lawyer responded that the main arguing counsel was unavailable and requested that the case be postponed. The court accepted the request and listed the matter for further hearing on February 26, 2026.
The defamation suit was filed by nine women journalists associated with Newslaundry. They have sought an injunction restraining Iyer-Mitra from making any further allegedly defamatory statements, a written apology, and ₹2 crore in damages.
The plaintiffs allege that Mitra made “defamatory, false, malicious and unsubstantiated allegations” in a post on X, and used “derogatory terms and slurs” aimed at both the women journalists and their organisation.
The suit further claims that Mitra launched a series of “scathing and belligerent attacks” through multiple posts, targeting not only the journalists but also Newslaundry’s subscribers, who include professionals such as doctors, lawyers, judges, teachers, scientists, architects, and engineers.
During a previous hearing, Mitra’s counsel had acknowledged that the language used in the posts was inappropriate and informed the court that the posts in question had been taken down.
The matter will now be taken up after more than a year, when the High Court next hears the application.
