The Delhi High Court on Thursday referred the defamation dispute between journalist Anjana Om Kashyap, popular educator Khan Sir, and several other educators to mediation, while directing both sides to refrain from escalating the controversy in the meantime.

Justice Tushar Rao Gedela asked counsel for the parties to appear before a senior mediator later in the day to explore the possibility of an amicable settlement.

“After having probed a little, it appears that the parties may be able to resolve the disputes amicably. The parties are willing to explore the terms of settlement in case a senior mediator is appointed. They are also willing to commence the mediation efforts today itself at 4:30 PM,” the Court observed.

As an interim measure, the Court directed Khan Sir and the other educators to remove social media posts revealing details about Kashyap's children. It also asked Kashyap not to make remarks targeting the educators during the pendency of the mediation.

“You are academicians. You are teaching youngsters. They [Kashyap] will refrain, you [Khan Sir] take down disclosure about the child,” Justice Gedela remarked.

The directions came during the hearing of a defamation suit filed by Kashyap and TV Today Network against Khan Sir and several others over allegedly defamatory statements made after Kashyap criticised the growing influence of "star teachers."

The suit also names educators Abhinay Sharma, Babita Tyagi, and Arvind Bhadauriya as defendants, along with certain X (formerly Twitter) handles and 4PM News Network.

According to the plaint, the controversy began after Kashyap hosted a debate on Aaj Tak on May 29, 2026, where she commented on the increasing influence of online "star teachers" and the commercialisation of education. She maintains that her remarks constituted fair journalistic commentary on an issue of public importance.

The suit alleges that between May 30 and June 4, several defendants with substantial social media followings carried out a coordinated campaign against Kashyap and the TV Today Network.

It claims that videos, social media posts and broadcasts labelled Kashyap and Aaj Tak with terms such as "bikau patrakar," "chatukar," "dalli," and accused them of engaging in "dalaali" and running a "fake news ki dukaan."

The suit further alleges that Khan Sir publicly disclosed information about the school attended by Kashyap's child, contending that the disclosure had no connection with the public controversy and exposed her family to harassment, unwanted attention and security risks.

Kashyap and TV Today Network instituted the suit through advocates Hrishikesh Baruah, Utkarsh Dwivedi and Pragya Agarwal.