The matter between Mitra and Arora was settled after the latter published an apology from his X handle.A Delhi court on Monday directed NDTV’s senior journalist Gargi Rawat to pay Rs 10,000 to Abhijit Iyer-Mitra for liking a “defamatory” post on X (formerly Twitter), which alleged that the latter was accused of rape.“…although the online republication and circulation by the defendant no 2 (Rawat) was of a grave false allegation, however, taking into account the mitigating factors… I consider it reasonable to grant the plaintiff damages on the lower side which are quantified as Rs 10,000 only against the plaintiff’s claim of Rs 20 lakhs,” District Judge Satyabrata Panda of the Patiala House Court noted in an order on Monday.“In view of the aforesaid discussion, there is no manner of doubt that the act of the defendant no 2 in ‘liking’ the original defamatory tweet in question amounted to republication and, as a result, the defendant no 2 is liable for the tort of defamation,” the court held.“It is further directed that, in case the impugned tweet is still showing on the profile or timeline of the defendant no 2 on the Twitter/X platform, then the same be permanently deleted and/or removed,” the court added while hearing the defamation suit filed by Mitra against Rawat and Dushyant Arora, a lawyer.As per the court’s reasoning, liking the post highlighted it in Rawat’s profile that meant further circulation. “…the defendant no 2 is a known personality in her field and on media. Thus, by her action in ‘liking’ the original tweet, the defendant no 2 ensured that the circulation of the original tweet was widened to a larger audience. The action of the defendant no 2 in ‘liking’ the original tweet leading to its republication was also not a case of a content-neutral reference to the original tweet,” the court said.“Thus, in the present case, the “liking” of the tweet in question was not a case of a mere content-neutral reference to the tweet in question, but was the defendant no.2’s way of showing to the online audience at large her appreciation for the tweet,” it added.The matter between Mitra and Arora was settled after the latter published an apology from his X handle. Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd