Newslaundry’s claim that it has “nothing to hide” and that its Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) has acted against wrongdoing is now facing an uncomfortable question: what happened when complaints and allegations involved Chitranshu Tewari?
Tewari, who has faced repeated allegations concerning his conduct towards colleagues and women at Newslaundry, remained with the organisation for years and rose through its ranks, eventually becoming Director, Product & Revenue.
That career progression sits uneasily alongside accounts from former employees describing his conduct.
Former Reporter Describes “Worst Days” Of Her Career
Former Newslaundry reporter Shivani Verma recently responded publicly after the organisation invited former employees to come forward with their experiences.
Verma, who joined Newslaundry as an intern in 2020, said the following 10 months were “the worst days of my career.”
She specifically named Tewari, alleging that he would shout and scream during one-on-one calls and repeatedly made her feel that her work was inadequate.
“I remember being scared before 1-on-1s with him,” she wrote, saying the experience affected her confidence and self-esteem.
Verma said she eventually raised the issue with Newslaundry co-founder Abhinandan Sekhri. An apology followed and, according to her, the situation improved temporarily before reverting.
She eventually resigned in June 2021, explicitly citing the hostile work environment and its impact on her “productivity, efficiency and mental health”.
According to Verma, her concerns were raised at the time, but after her resignation was accepted, she received no further communication about them.
The question is therefore straightforward: if concerns about a senior employee’s conduct were being raised, what action was actually taken against him?
Since Newslaundry is now encouraging anyone associated with the organisation, including former employees, to write to them, here’s my experience (again), but publicly.
(long thread) https://t.co/q76xT5Oj7j
— Shivani Verma (@verma_shivani12) August 12, 2026
An Earlier Account Had Also Accused Tewari
Verma’s account is not the only allegation concerning Tewari that has resurfaced.
An earlier account from the 2018 #MeToo period, posted by a journalist who chose to remain anonymous, described what she called a “creepy experience” involving Tewari.
According to her account, Tewari pursued her after meeting her and later invited her to his residence, where she alleged that he continued pursuing her despite her lack of interest. She described the experience as horrifying and said she did not confront him at the time because she was shocked.
The same account included allegations that Tewari had discussed a vacancy at Newslaundry with her and subsequently stopped sharing information about it after learning that she was in a relationship.
It was also alleged that she had heard other stories about his conduct and accused him of creating an environment in which women were made to cry and interns were belittled.
Complaints, Allegations, And Then A Promotion
This is where Newslaundry’s current defence raises questions of its own.
The organisation recently issued a statement defending its ICC, saying it had received four complaints since 2017 and had taken action in cases that included termination, suspension and other disciplinary measures.
Newslaundry also said it had “nothing to hide” and invited former employees to contact the organisation with their complaints.
At the same time, it described some of the discussion surrounding the organisation as “vile and slanderous” and referred to “unsubstantiated and fictitious allegations”.
But the issue raised by Tewari’s case is not simply whether Newslaundry had an ICC or whether it acted against some employees.
It is what happened when allegations and complaints concerned someone who remained in the organisation and subsequently climbed the leadership ladder.
Tewari did not merely remain employed. The account above by Verma says she resigned in June 2021 and Chitranshu had just been promoted.
He eventually rose to a senior leadership position as Director, Product & Revenue. His LinkedIn work history proves this. He was promoted in May 2021.
That makes the organisation’s present insistence that employees should come forward all the more significant. Former employees are now doing exactly that and their accounts raise questions about whether concerns involving powerful employees received the same scrutiny as the organisation now claims its ICC provides.
“Nothing To Hide” Requires More Than A Statement
Newslaundry cannot point to its ICC and declare the matter settled. If it has “nothing to hide”, it should explain how complaints and concerns involving Tewari were handled, what action was taken, and why he continued at the organisation and eventually rose to senior leadership despite the allegations surrounding his conduct.
Newslaundry routinely demands accountability from others. It cannot reasonably demand the same standard from everyone else while asking the public to accept its own assurances without scrutiny.
The question is simple: what did Newslaundry do about the allegations against Tewari — and why was he allowed to stay and rise?
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