Newslaundry Executive Editor Manisha Pande and eight other women journalists have filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court against Abhijit Iyer-Mitra for referring to them as ‘prostitutes’ and their workplace as a ‘brothel.’ .The suit refers to eight “revolting posts” made by Iyer-Mitra on X (formerly Twitter) between February to May 2025 and has sought a direction to restrain him from making further defamatory posts. “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 defamation suit states. A written apology and damages of ₹2 crore have also been sought. .The journalists have argued that they are young women media professionals and Iyer-Mitra’s post is not only an attack on their reputation and dignity but has caused them “enormous mental trauma, harassment and embarrassment to them, amongst peers, friends and family”. “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 suit states. .The defamation suit has been filed through advocates Uddhav Khanna and Dhruva Vig.
Newslaundry Executive Editor Manisha Pande and eight other women journalists have filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court against Abhijit Iyer-Mitra for referring to them as ‘prostitutes’ and their workplace as a ‘brothel.’ .The suit refers to eight “revolting posts” made by Iyer-Mitra on X (formerly Twitter) between February to May 2025 and has sought a direction to restrain him from making further defamatory posts. “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 defamation suit states. A written apology and damages of ₹2 crore have also been sought. .The journalists have argued that they are young women media professionals and Iyer-Mitra’s post is not only an attack on their reputation and dignity but has caused them “enormous mental trauma, harassment and embarrassment to them, amongst peers, friends and family”. “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 suit states. .The defamation suit has been filed through advocates Uddhav Khanna and Dhruva Vig.
