&w=3840&q=100)
Medha Patkar arrested in 24-yr-old defamation case filed by Delhi LG Saxena
Veteran social activist Medha Patkar was arrested by the Delhi Police on Friday for failing to furnish probation bonds in connection with a 24-year-old defamation case filed against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.
The arrest follows a non-bailable warrant issued on Wednesday by a Delhi court after Patkar failed to appear before it or comply with earlier directions to submit a probation bond and pay a fine of ₹1 lakh. The case, dating back to the year 2000, was filed by Saxena during his tenure as the president of the National Council of Civil Liberties, a Gujarat-based NGO. Saxena alleged that Patkar defamed him through a press release issued on November 24, 2000.
Warrant issued after Patkar failed to meet court directives
Earlier this month, Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh had convicted the 70-year-old activist and granted her probation on the condition of good conduct, paired with a ₹1 lakh fine. However, her absence from Wednesday's proceedings and failure to meet the court's directives led to the issuance of the warrant.
Saxena's lawyer, Gajinder Kumar, accused Patkar of deliberately evading legal responsibilities. The court also labelled her adjournment plea as 'mischievous and frivolous', and warned that it may revisit her sentence if she fails to comply by the next hearing on May 3.
What is the defamation case about?
The original defamation complaint stemmed from Patkar's statements in which she allegedly called Saxena a 'coward' and accused him of involvement in hawala transactions and betraying Gujarat's people to foreign interests. In May last year, a magistrate ruled that her remarks were defamatory and calculated to damage Saxena's public image.
Who is Medha Patkar?
Patkar, a long-time leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), has been a prominent voice against large-scale development projects like the Sardar Sarovar Dam, which she argues displace thousands of tribal villagers and threaten vast tracts of forest and farmland. Known for her non-violent resistance, Patkar gained recognition for enduring arrests, beatings, and extended hunger strikes over the decades in her campaign against forced displacement and environmental degradation.
[With agency inputs]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Bizman's aide held for killing 62-yr-old over property row
New Delhi: A week after a burnt body was found in northwest Delhi's Alipur, Delhi Police has arrested the business partner of the deceased. According to police, the victim was allegedly putting pressure on his partner to sell a property, which ultimately led to the murder. Police said that on May 2, a partially burnt body was discovered. During an inspection of the crime scene, an empty cartridge was recovered. Efforts were made to identify the deceased, and a case of murder was registered. The deceased was later identified as Santosh Kumar, alias Masterji (62), a resident of Nathupura. Deputy commissioner of police (Outer North) Hareshwar V Swami said that after analysing hundreds of CCTV footage, examining multiple call detail records of suspects, interrogations, and relying on local intelligence, one suspect—Jagarnath Shah, alias Lala—was apprehended. Shah was last seen with the deceased. Police said, Shah, who was also the deceased's business partner, confessed to the crime upon interrogation. "Shah has been arrested. He disclosed that the deceased was putting pressure on him to sell his property in Swaroop Nagar. The weapon used in the crime, the vehicle used to commit the offence, and an empty petrol bottle have been recovered," police said. According to police, on June 1, Shah took Santosh from his office in Swaroop Vihar for a drive in his XUV car, under the pretence of discussing property matters. He drove around various locations in Delhi, searching for a secluded place to commit the murder. Around 8 pm, they reached the Mukhmelpur-Hiranki Pushta Road, a deserted area. There, Shah allegedly shot Santosh in the head and set the body on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence before fleeing the scene. On the way, he disposed of the weapon and the inflammable bottle, both of which were later recovered by the police.
NDTV
44 minutes ago
- NDTV
US Slaps Sanctions On El Chapo's Sons, Announces $10 Million Reward
The US government on Monday sanctioned the fugitive sons of drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, and announced a $10 million reward for information leading to their arrests. Archivaldo Ivan Guzman and Jesus Alfredo Guzman, who lead the violent Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, are accused of spearheading fentanyl trafficking into the US through secret labs in Mexico. The sanctions freeze any property and financial interests linked to the brothers and extend to entities they directly or indirectly control. The brothers were also designated as targets under the State Department's Narcotics Rewards Programme, with a reward of up to $10 million bounty placed on each for information leading to their arrest or conviction. The Trump administration alleges that Los Chapitos control secret drug laboratories in Sinaloa, Mexico, and have also secured access to fentanyl precursor chemicals and deployed brutal tactics to consolidate their grip on the illicit trade. "We will continue to protect our nation by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding Mexico-based cartels' violent and criminal activity," said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce in a statement. "Today's action further demonstrates the Trump Administration's unwavering commitment to eliminating cartels and ensuring the safety of the American people." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described Los Chapitos as a "powerful, hyperviolent" faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, heavily involved in fentanyl trafficking into the US, as per The NY Post. He said the sanctions are part of US President Donald Trump's directive to dismantle drug cartels and target their leaders, including El Chapo's sons, using every available tool to "stop the fentanyl crisis and help save lives." El Chapo, once the world's most wanted drug trafficker, was convicted in 2019 on multiple conspiracy counts and is currently serving a life sentence at ADX Florence, a maximum-security prison in Colorado. The crackdown follows the Trump administration's earlier decision to label the Sinaloa Cartel as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
A Murder, 3 Grieving Mothers: How Meghalaya Killing Has Affected Families
Indore: What began as a dreamy honeymoon for an Indore-based couple in Meghalaya has unravelled into a sordid saga of murder and betrayal, leaving three families heartbroken. The shocking death of 29-year-old Indore transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi has ripped open a dark secret, plunging three mothers into unimaginable grief. As Meghalaya Police peel the layers of this horrific crime, the narrative points to a "murder of trust" within the most intimate of relationships. According to Meghalaya Police, Sonam was allegedly involved in the conspiracy to murder her husband Raja Raghuvanshi with her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha. The duo had hired three killers to execute the plan. Uma Raghuvanshi stands by her son Raja's garlanded photograph, her face a mask of grief and bewildered anger. "Initially, we couldn't believe that my daughter-in-law Sonam could get my son Raja killed," she told PTI, her voice trembling. "But we are slowly starting to believe it now." The questions that haunt her is, "If Sonam liked another boy, why didn't she refuse to marry Raja? Why did she kill my son?" The two got married on May 11 and left for honeymoon on May 20. During the probe, it emerged that Sonam herself had planned the trip to Meghalaya. "I didn't know that my son would return from Meghalaya as a dead body," Uma said while crying inconsolably and recalling the warm send-off the day the couple left, little knowing that it would turn into a tragic farewell. The family was completely unaware of Raj Kushwaha's existence before the Meghalaya police investigated the case. Miles away from Raja's residence, in a small rented house in Indore, Raj Kushwaha's mother, Chunni Devi, is also inconsolable, along with her three daughters. "My son is innocent. He has been framed. How can a 20-year-old boy commit such a big crime? He is the only breadwinner in our house after my husband passed away," she told PTI. She also claimed that her son even attended Raja Raghuvanshi's funeral procession and returned home in tears. "My son was saddened by Raja Raghuvanshi's death and even went to his funeral procession. After returning from the funeral procession, he was crying a lot. I had consoled him that everything will be fine and what is the use of crying now," the mother of the alleged main conspirator said. Sonam's maternal home in Indore's Govind Nagar Kharcha area is in a different kind of shock. Her family runs a business dealing in Sunmica sheets, where Raj Kushwaha, a 12th-grade dropout, worked as an accountant. Sonam's mother, Sangeeta, was reluctant to speak to the media. "False allegations are being made against my daughter. I cannot say right now what might have happened to Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya?" she muttered. The mother of Sonam, the alleged main accused, demanded that there should be a detailed investigation into the murder of her son-in-law. Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam were reported missing on May 23 and days later, the body of the newlywed groom was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra, also known as Cherrapunji, in the East Khasi Hills district. Sonam surrendered to the police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district, while Raj Kushwaha and three other accused were apprehended in various parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Meghalaya Police is probing every detail of this case. However, for the three mothers whose lives have been irrevocably shattered, the tears continue to flow.
