After Delhi HC rap, Abhijit Iyer-Mitra agrees to remove tweets against women journalists

The journalists alleged that Iyer had posted sexually abusive social media posts against them on X, referring to them as "prostitutes" and their workplace as “brothel”.

'Is this permissible?'

After going through the tweets, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav who had a heated exchange with advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, who appeared for Iyer-Mitra, said, “Can you defend these articles? These kind of languages, whatever may be the background, can this kind of language be permissible in the society? …You must take down this, only then will we hear you."

The judge was angry enough to warn the lawyer, who was defending the posts, that he would order the police to register a criminal case against Iyer-Mitra.

According to a Bar and Bench report, the court ruled that while going through the nature of the language used by the defendant, the court was the prima facie opinion that it is “not permissible in any civilised society” and was about to pass interim order.

Abusive posts to be taken down

The lawyer Dehadrai contended that he has points to raise, said the judge, adding that Dehadrai, however, concedes choice of words could have been avoided.

“He says without prejudice to his contention the defendant will take down the abusive posts in 5 hours. It is taken on record and he shall act accordingly," the judge added.

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The matter will be heard next week.

The defamation suit

The judge was hearing a defamation suit, which relates to eight tweets posted by Iyer-Mitra on X between February to May 2025.

The plea filed by nine women journalists asked the court to restrain Iyer from making further defamatory posts.

The plea said that he had repeatedly referred to the plaintiffs as prostitutes in a series of posts and articles and launched scathing and belligerent attacks against them. He cannot be permitted to spread falsehood only with the “oblique motive” to gain cheap publicity and eyeballs, said the defamation suit.

A written apology and damages of ₹2 crore have also been sought.

Mental trauma

The journalists have argued that these posts have caused them “enormous mental trauma, harassment and embarrassment to them, amongst peers, friends and family”.

"No woman/person deserves to be dehumanised. No profession deserves to be weaponised as an insult. These remarks strip women – wehther journalists or sex workers – of agency, identity and respect," the plea had said.

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Meanwhile, Iyer's advocate argued that not a single tweet by Iyer has been attributed to the journalists. However, the bench disagreed with him saying they are directly attributable to the plaintiffs.