Don't be on X if you're so touchy: Delhi High Court to journalist Rohan Dua in defamation case
The Delhi High Court on Monday orally observed that one of the tweets flagged by journalist Rohan Dua as defaming him in its commentary about his interview with Olympian Manu Bhaker, "could not be milder." [Rajatarangini India Media Private Limited & Anr. vs Roshan Rai & Ors.]
Justice Avneesh Jhingan read the flagged social media comment and remarked,
“It cannot be milder than this. If you people are so touchy, then don't go on the platform (X/ Twitter)."
The Court eventually deleted the X (formerly Twitter) user who had made this comment from the list of persons being sued by Dua (defendants) for defamation.
The order was passed after the X user's counsel told the Court that his comment was already deleted. The Court added that in case the tweet has not been deleted as claimed, the same should be done in two days.
Rohan Dua is the founder of a news platform called The New Indian. In 2024, he had interviewed Indian shooter Manu Bhaker after she won two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics.
A short clip of the interview went viral on social media where Dua could be seen asking Bhaker about her and her mother’s photos with fellow Olympian Neeraj Chopra.
"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?” Dua posed the question.
A Twitter user named Roshan Rai (a defendant in Dua's suit) posted the video and criticised Dua for asking such a question.
"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," Rai wrote.
Several other social media handles also posted the video terming the question "sexist" and calling the interviewer "unprofessional."
Dua filed a suit for the takedown of such critical commentary, contending that these statements not only attack his professional competence, but also spread a false narrative that he was being sexist and inappropriate, overshadowing Bhaker's achievements.
On September 2, 2024, the High Court granted him interim relief by ordering the takedown of a host of such comments. The interim order was passed after Dua's lawyers filed an affidavit stating that Bhaker had liked Dua's post of the interview, proving that she took no offence to the questions posed to her.
Days later, however, the Court vacated its interim order in relation to a comment made by journalist Abhishek Baxi in the matter, on prima facie finding that there was nothing defamatory about Baxi's tweet.
Today, the Court was hearing an application seeking the deletion of an X user named Mirza Arif Baig from the array of defendants named in the case.
Baig's counsel submitted that his comment is not defamatory. He added that Baig only has a small following on the X handle, being less than 1,600 followers.
The counsel further submitted that the comment has already been deleted from ‘X’ in order to avoid further complications. The Court noted the submissions and directed the applicant that in case the comment has not been deleted, it shall be deleted within two days.
“In view of the above, the defendant shall be deleted,” the Court stated.
The next date of hearing is on March 14, 2026.