Delhi Court Directs Registration of FIR Against Abhijit Iyer-Mitra Over Alleged Objectionable Posts Targeting Journalists
(Judicial Quest News Network)
New Delhi: 23,April,2026- In a significant development concerning online harassment and alleged defamation, a Delhi court on Wednesday directed the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against commentator Abhijit Iyer-Mitra for purportedly posting objectionable and derogatory content on social media targeting journalists associated with News Laundry.
“Therefore, on perusal of the application and the material placed on record by the complainant, this Court is of the view that the content of the tweets posted by the accused on “X” platform discloses commission of cognizable offences under section 75(3) and 79 of BNS.”
The order was passed by Judicial Magistrate First Class Bhanu Pratap Singh of the Saket Court, who observed that the allegations, at this stage, disclose prima facie offences warranting police investigation.
The court noted that the accused had allegedly made sexually coloured remarks against Manisha Pande and other journalists, which appeared intended to insult and demean them.
The court also recorded that Pande was explicitly named in some of the impugned posts.
“This Court is of the view that police investigation is necessary as the offence has been committed in cyber space on platform “X”. Therefore, police investigation is necessary to verify the user account on platform “X” from which the said tweets were published. Further police investigation is also necessary to trace and recover the computer source/electronic device from which the said tweets were published. This Court is also of the view that the Action Taken Report which was filed by PSI Ombir in the present case is not satisfactory as the above stated tweets were not considered in the report.”
The complaint was filed by Manisha Pande along with six other journalists, who alleged that Iyer-Mitra repeatedly referred to them using derogatory and abusive language, including branding them as prostitutes in a series of posts and articles on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The complainants further pointed to specific posts containing objectionable remarks, including statements that they argued were designed to outrage their dignity and reputation.
In parallel proceedings, the journalists had also approached the Delhi High Court by filing a civil defamation suit against Iyer-Mitra.
In their plea, they contended that the statements formed part of a sustained and targeted campaign of vilification that caused them severe mental distress, harassment, and reputational harm.
They sought a permanent injunction restraining further such remarks, a written apology, and damages amounting to ₹2 crore.
During the course of those proceedings, the High Court, on May 21, 2025, recorded an undertaking by Iyer-Mitra to delete certain contentious posts within five hours.
However, the civil suit remains pending adjudication before the court.
Advocates Bani Dikshit and Udhav Khanna represented the journalists in the matter.
The latest direction for registration of an FIR marks a crucial step in the criminal proceedings, with the investigation now expected to examine the nature, intent, and impact of the alleged social media posts.
