Newslaundry faces investigation over workplace harassment allegations

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has launched a preliminary examination into allegations of workplace sexual harassment and mismanagement of internal complaint mechanisms at the Indian news organization Newslaundry.

The investigation follows public claims made by former employees on social media regarding the company’s compliance with the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act. Former staff members have raised concerns about the functioning of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), questioning changes to its composition and whether mandatory gender-sensitization training is being conducted. Specific allegations include reports of a toxic newsroom culture and instances of senior journalists behaving inappropriately toward women editors.

The controversy was further fueled by Newslaundry’s decision to remove a 2014 opinion piece that had been criticized for victim-shaming in the context of sexual assault allegations against former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal. While the organization stated the removal was due to evolving journalistic values and legal developments, former employees have used the incident to question how the company handles internal harassment complaints.