A user with the name of Sayatan ghosh has claimed that he worked as an unpaid Intern writer for NewsLaundry back in 2016 and that the owner Abhinandan Sekhri useddeeply hurtful language at the employees and made the workplace toxic.

Sayatan, who works as in independent journalist, who writes for prominent publishers like TOI and The Hindu reveals his side of story when he joined NewsLaundry as an intern back in 2016.

“The space, as I experienced it, was extremely toxic. The language used by Abhinandan Sekhri towards employees was deeply hurtful to me. People around me told me that this was “normal” in the media—that this was how newsrooms functioned and that one had to develop a thick skin.” Abhinandan wrote on his Twitter.

Abhinandan claims that his experience working for The Indian Express and The Telegraph was contrasting where the editors did not hurled abuses at reporters or interns in the way he experienced at NewsLaundry.

Ghosh Says He Was Abused After Covering Section 66A Story

Recalling an incident that he says remains vivid in his memory, Ghosh claimed that he was subjected to severe verbal abuse after covering a story related to Section 66A of the Information Technology Act.

He writes that after covering a story on Section66A, he was abused so badly that he lied to the reporter and fled away from the spot.

Sayatan admits that he didn’t speak of this matter due to fear of court cases and other harrasements but got courage recently after the verdict on Tarun Tejpal by the Bombay High Court.

Why NewsLaundry Owner is in the news After Tarun Tejpal guilty Verdict by the Bombay High Court?

Years ago, when the allegations surfaced against Tarun Tejpal, many netizens alleged that NewLaundy was not unbiased when covering the story. There is a strong perception in the media fraternity that NewsLaundry has strong affinity for the left-wing group.

Very recently, Newslaundry owner Abhinandan Sekhri has apologized for the content that his site published nearly 14 years where it appears that the articles not only defended but substantially questioned the allegations against Tarun Tejpal.

He announced on Twitter that those content have been removed from the site immediately.

Rubika Liyaqat and Barkha Dutt Also Respondes To Accusations at NewsLaundry

The tweet has gone viral and many netizens are sharing the tweet by Sayatan Ghosh. Well known journalist and anchor Rubika Liyaqat has responded to the tweet of Sayatan Ghosh and praised the writer for speaking up.

Barkha Dutt, who is known for her work for NDTV has also taken at subtle jibe at NewsLaundry and its owner by saying that one should not act like a preacher & pulpit and that nobody likes arrogance or humbug.

Political commentator Abhijit Iyer Mitra has claimed that he knows of several ex-employees of NewsLaundry who have faced similar harrowing experiences but they aren’t willing to reveal their stories.

“More skeletons tumbling out of the RapeLaundry closet. Several former employees have reached out to me over the years, detailing the horrific workplace intimidation, sexual slurs & abuse that RapeLaundry management – including & especially the women would dish out. Openly,” Abhijit wrote in his Tweet.