Court Sentences Activist Medha Patkar to Five Months Imprisonment and ₹10 Lakh Fine in Defamation Case

In a significant legal development, activist Medha Patkar has been sentenced to five months of simple imprisonment and fined ₹10 lakh by a Delhi court in a long-standing defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena. The case, which spanned over two decades, culminated in Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma’s decision, considering the evidence and prolonged legal proceedings. Despite suspending the sentence for one month to allow Patkar to appeal, the judge declined her request for probation, citing the severity of the defamatory statements made against Saxena during his tenure at an Ahmedabad-based NGO.

The court’s decision follows its earlier observation that Patkar’s remarks, including calling Saxena a “coward” and alleging involvement in illicit transactions, were inherently defamatory and intended to tarnish his reputation. The case, initiated in 2000 when Patkar sued Saxena for advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan, marks a protracted legal battle between the two figures. Saxena, who headed the ‘Council for Civil Liberties,’ had also filed additional defamation suits against Patkar in 2001, underscoring the contentious nature of their legal dispute.

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