Court stays FIR against Abhijit Iyer-Mitra for abusive posts about ‘Newslaundry’ women journalists

A Delhi court on Monday stayed its earlier order that directed that a first information report be registered against commentator Abhijit Iyer-Mitra for his social media posts in which he made sexually abusive remarks about the women employees of news outlet Newslaundry, Live Law reported.

On April 23, Judicial Magistrate First Class Bhanu Pratap Singh of the Saket Court said that Iyer-Mitra could be charged under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita sections pertaining to sexual harassment and insulting the modesty of a woman for the contents of the tweets.

He had also observed that the “police investigation is necessary as the offence has been committed in cyber space”.

Newslaundry’s Managing Editor Manisha Pande and other women journalists working for the news outlet had approached the court, stating that Iyer-Mitra had repeatedly used derogatory language and slurs to target them.

On August 13, the judge directed the station house officer of Malviya Nagar Police Station to file an action taken report in the matter, Live Law reported. The police were asked whether any complaint was made and if any action was taken.

In November, the police were given a final opportunity to file the action taken report, which was eventually filed only on February 18, the legal news outlet reported.

The journalists then approached the court under Section 175 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha...

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