Premium

No intention to act against Newslaundry journalist, clarifies HC

The court also clarified that it is not trying to gag the media following wide circulation of the court’s earlier remarks from Thursday on social media platforms.

2 min readNew DelhiJan 24, 2026 05:06 AM IST

journalist Manisha Pande, Manisha Pande, delhi high court, act against Newslaundry journalist, Om Prakash Shukla, Indian express news, current affairs

Justice Shankar on Friday, called the lawyers of both sides to the court specifically for issuing the clarification. The case was not originally listed for Friday.

A day after the Delhi High Court made “certain strong” oral remarks against journalist Manisha Pande, objecting to her remarks during a show, the court on Friday clarified that it does not intend to act against her or prejudice her career.

The court also clarified that it is not trying to gag the media following wide circulation of the court’s earlier remarks from Thursday on social media platforms.

A division bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla, on Thursday, while dealing with appeals by TV Today, the broadcasting arm of the India Today Group, and Newslaundry, pertaining to copyright infringement and defamation, had orally objected to the use of an unparliamentary word and had also remarked that Pande “doesn’t know the basic fundamentals of decency in reporting.”

The court had then also orally remarked that it won’t mind adding Pande as a party to the litigation and that it may pass an order which may place her entire career in “disarray.”

Justice Shankar on Friday, called the lawyers of both sides to the court specifically for issuing the clarification. The case was not originally listed for Friday.

Addressing the counsel, Justice Shankar orally said, “We don’t intend to act against that journalist or to prejudice their career, and I think the counsel who were here were persons of maturity who understood the spirit in which those statements were made.”

He further added, “this is intended for all who are reporting (on court cases) …we are not trying to cut down or gag the media…but while doing so, keep in mind the consequences of that reporting…In yesterday’s hearing, that one para was taken out and made subject matter of a separate post which then floated all over social media and thousands of hate messages were received…If that is going to be the consequence, what will happen is, that we (Bench) will stop interacting (with the Bar).”

Sohini Ghosh

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More