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Hans India
a day ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Delhi HC upholds Medha Patkar's conviction in defamation case
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday maintained the conviction of activist Medha Patkar in a criminal defamation case filed against her by V.K. Saxena – now Lieutenant Governor of Delhi – back in 2001. A single-judge Bench of Justice Shalinder Kaur rejected the revision plea filed by Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar, challenging a Saket Court's order that had earlier dismissed her criminal appeal and upheld her conviction. Justice Shalinder Kaur observed that Medha Patkar failed to point out any procedural defect that would amount to a miscarriage of justice in the case, noting that her conviction was based on due consideration of the evidence and applicable law. However, in a bit of relief to Patkar, the Delhi High Court modified the probation condition requiring her to appear before the trial court every three months, permitting her to appear virtually or be represented by an advocate. Further, it refused to entertain Medha Patkar's plea challenging the dismissal of her application to introduce a new witness in her defamation case against Saxena. In 2001, Saxena filed two defamation suits against Patkar— one over allegedly derogatory remarks made during a television interview, and the other concerning a press statement. The legal tussle arose from an earlier suit filed by Patkar in 2000, accusing Saxena of publishing defamatory advertisements targeting her and the NBA. In July last year, Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma sentenced Patkar to five months in jail and ordered her to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to Saxena. On appeal, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vishal Singh of the Saket Court upheld Patkar's conviction but ordered her to be released on probation of good conduct for a period of one year, subject to prior deposit of a compensation amount of Rs 1 lakh, which will be released in favour of the complainant (Saxena). It had opined that an insensitive approach towards others' reputation and abuse of the right to free speech must be met with criminal sanction, adding that Patkar, being herself a person of repute, must know the value of one's reputation and how defamation can result in loss of face and public esteem of the victim. Advocate Gajinder Kumar, along with advocates Kiran Jai, Chandra Shekhar, Drishti, and Somya Arya, represented L-G Saxena before the Delhi High Court.
Scroll.in
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Rush hour: Judge hearing Delhi riots case reinstated, US to resume student visa interviews and more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. Support Scroll's studio fund today. Arguments in the 'larger conspiracy case' related to the 2020 Delhi riots will not have to be heard afresh as the transfer of the judge who was hearing the case has been reversed. The transfer of Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai on May 30 from the Karkardooma Court to the Saket Court would have delayed the case significantly. Five of the 18 persons accused in the matter and the public prosecutors would have had to present their arguments before the court again. Bajpai had been hearing the case since September. The case was at the stage of arguments on charges and the trial was expected to begin after the arguments were heard. The case will be heard next in July. Read on. Also read: Five years later: Delhi Police's riots conspiracy case is built on sand The United States has said it will soon restart its student visa appointment process, but added that applicants will need to unlock their social media profiles to allow them to be reviewed. Every visa adjudication is a national security decision, said the Department of State. It added that authorities must be vigilant in ensuring that those applying for visas 'do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests'. On May 27, all US embassies were directed by the Donald Trump administration to pause scheduling student visa interviews until 'further guidance' was issued. US consular officials have been directed to look for 'applicants who demonstrate a history of political activism, especially when it is associated with violence' and determine the likelihood of such activities continuing in the US. Read on. The Central Board of Film Certification has asked for a quote by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be included at the beginning of Aamir Khan's upcoming film, reports said. Sitaare Zameen Par was cleared for a theatrical release on Friday after several changes, including the removal of a visual and a subtitle containing the word kamal, or lotus in Hindi, Bollywood Hungama reported. The quote by Modi appears in the opening disclaimer and makes a reference to the year 2047 , the Hindustan Times reported. Read on. The identities of 211 of 275 persons who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash have been confirmed through DNA testing a week after the disaster. Of the total, the bodies of 189 persons have been handed over to their families. Among these, 142 were Indians, 32 British citizens, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. Besides, the bodies of seven persons who died on the ground have also been handed over to their relatives. The crash on June 12 killed all but one of the 242 people onboard Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. Thirty-four persons were also killed on the ground after the plane crashed into the hostel building of the BJ Medical College and Hospital, according to the airline. Read on. If you haven't already, sign up for our Daily Brief newsletter.
Scroll.in
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Delhi riots: Judge hearing ‘larger conspiracy' case brought back to Karkardooma Court after transfer
Arguments in the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 Delhi riots will not have to be heard afresh, after the transfer of the judge who was hearing the case was reversed on Wednesday. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai's transfer was announced on May 30 from the Karkardooma Court to the Saket Court and Additional Sessions Judge Lalit Kumar had replaced him, Live Law reported. This was among 135 transfers of judges in trial courts across Delhi. This would have delayed the case significantly, as five of the 18 persons accused in the matter and the public prosecutors would have had to present their arguments before the court again. Bajpai had been hearing the case since September and the case was at the stage of arguments on charges. The trial was expected to begin after the arguments were heard. This would have been the second time that the case could have been delayed because of a routine transfer of a judge. Earlier, Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat had been hearing the case, before being replaced by Bajpai, Live Law reported. However, on Wednesday, a notification on the Delhi High Court website stated that Kumar had been transferred back to the Saket Court and Bajpai was brought back to the Karkardooma Court, where the Delhi riots case is being heard. Notably, Kumar, who replaced Bajpai, heard the case for the first time on June 2 and said that arguments on charges must be expedited, Live Law reported. The case will be heard next in July now. Clashes had broken out in North East Delhi in February 2020 between supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing it. The violence left 53 dead and hundreds injured. The Delhi Police has claimed that the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame the Narendra Modi government and was plotted by those who organised the protests against the contentious citizenship law.
Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Delhi riots larger conspiracy case: Judge hearing case brought back after transfer
Arguments on charge in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case will not be heard afresh as the judge, who was hearing the case for a year and a half, was brought back to the Karkardooma Court Wednesday after he was transferred. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing arguments on charge, after the conclusion of which the trial of the case will begin, since September last year. Judge Bajpai was transferred to Saket Court at May end, and Additional Sessions Judge Lalit Kumar replaced him to hear arguments on charge afresh. On Wednesday, a new notification published on the Delhi High Court website stated that ASJ Kumar had been transferred to Saket Court, and ASJ Bajpai was brought back to Karkardooma Court, where the larger conspiracy case is pending. Out of the 18 accused arrested in connection with the case, 12 have been in jail for over four years. The accused are Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, Ishrat Jahan, Faizan Khan, Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha (all six on bail); Tahir Husain, Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Athar Khan (all 12 in jail). From October to May 2025, five accused — including former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, Shifa Ur Rehman, and Safoora Zargar — had completed their arguments on charge. The prosecution also completed its arguments during day-to-day hearings. The Delhi Police Special Cell started investigating the alleged conspiracy behind the riots soon after they broke out. The police booked the 18 accused under relevant provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code (IPC). The police argued that the 2020 Delhi riots were the result of a months-long 'deep-rooted' conspiracy allegedly hatched after the Citizenship Amendment Bill got a nod from the Cabinet in December 2019.
Indian Express
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In major rejig, 135 trial court judges transferred in Delhi
In a major reshuffle, a total of 135 trial court judges in the city have been transferred by an order of the Delhi High Court on Friday. Among notable names are Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Courts, who was hearing the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 Northeast Delhi Riots, and Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala of Karkardooma Courts who was hearing other cases of murder, arson, and unlawful assembly linked to the riots. While the former had been transferred to the Saket Court as an Additional Sessions Judge, the latter has been transferred to the Patiala House Court as a District Judge (Commercial Court). The larger conspiracy case has been pending for over four years and is at the stage of framing charges. Special Judge Niyay Bindu of Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court has been transferred to the Dwarka Court in the capacity of an Additional Principal Judge (Family Court). In June 2024, she granted bail to former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case linked to the excise policy 'scam'. Additional Sessions Judge (POCSO) Gomati Manocha of Patiala House Court, who recently accepted a closure report filed by the Delhi Police in a POCSO case against former BJP MP Brij Bhushan, has been transferred to Karkardooma Court as a District Judge. Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar of the Saket Court has been transferred to Rouse Avenue Court as a Special Judge. She was hearing the trial against Aaftab Poonawala, who was arrested in 2022 for allegedly killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and chopping her into pieces in Delhi. Special Judge Amitabh Rawat of Rouse Avenue Court, who earlier heard the larger conspiracy case linked to the Delhi riots, has been transferred to the Delhi High Court in the capacity of Joint Registrar (judicial).
