Medha Patkar, a social activist, was sentenced to five months of simple imprisonment by a Delhi court on Monday in a defamation case filed against her 24 years ago by VK Saxena, who currently serves as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. The court also directed Patkar to pay Rs 10 lakh as damages to Saxena.
In May of this year, Medha Patkar was found guilty in the case by Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma. The legal dispute between Patkar and Saxena dates back to 2000, initiated by Patkar’s lawsuit against Saxena for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA).
Delhi court sentences activist Medha Patkar to five months imprisonment in a 23-year-old criminal defamation case filed by Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena.
Patkar ordered to pay ₹10 lakh compensation to Saxena.
@medhanarmada @LtGovDelhi #Defamation pic.twitter.com/UPWVDOkA1G— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) July 1, 2024
At that time, Saxena was serving as the chief of the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties.
Saxena had additionally filed two cases against her: one for allegedly making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel, and another for issuing a defamatory statement.
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When convicting Patkar in the case, the magistrate court had declared that her statements against Saxena were “not only defamatory but also designed to provoke negative perceptions”.
In its ruling on Monday, the court mentioned that Patkar, aged 69, was spared a rigorous imprisonment term due to her age and health. Patkar has filed a bail plea before the court. The jail sentence will remain suspended for 30 days until the bail plea is considered.