Delhi court stays order for FIR against Abhijit Iyer-Mitra for posts on ‘Newslaundry’ journalists

A Delhi court on Tuesday stayed a magistrate court’s order directing the registration of a first information report 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, Bar and Bench reported.

Additional Sessions Judge Purshotam Pathak of the Saket court observed that the words used by Iyer-Mitra were in the form of shayari, or poetry, and did not specifically mention any person.

“The meticulous interpretation of the words and sentences used can only be done after hearing both the parties on merits on the revision petition,” Bar and Bench quoted the court as saying.

The sessions judge passed the order afresh after the Delhi High Court had set aside his earlier order staying the direction for FIR, observing that it was passed without any reasons.

In May, noting that the sessions court had stayed the registration of the FIR without explaining its rationale, the Delhi High Court had remanded the matter to the lower court and directed it to pass a fresh, reasoned order.

The High Court asked the Newslaundry journalists and Iyer-Mitra to appear before the sessions court on May 22. It directed the sessions court to decide the case within four weeks.

Newslaundry’s Managing Editor Manisha Pande and other women journalists working for...

Read more