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Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
SC upholds conviction of Medha Patkar in defamation case, waives penalty of ₹1 lakh
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the conviction of social activist Medha Patkar in a defamation case filed by Delhi lieutenant governor (L-G) VK Saxena but waived the penalty of ₹1 lakh imposed on her. The sessions court in April this year, upheld the conviction but set aside the jail term and released Patkar on probation. (File photo) A bench of justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh passed the order in relation to an appeal filed by Patkar challenging the July 29 order of the Delhi high court upholding her conviction. 'We are not inclined to interfere with the conviction. However, the penalty imposed on the appellant stands set aside,' the bench said. The Delhi high court upheld the trial court's order convicting and sentencing Patkar in a 2001 criminal defamation case filed by L-G Saxena, concluding that her statements were defamatory and tarnished Saxena's image. The defamation case was filed by Saxena at the time when he was heading the non profit National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL)-- which actively supported the Sardar Sarovar Dam Project in Gujarat. Also Read: Delhi HC upholds conviction of Medha Patkar in criminal defamation case It stemmed from the press release issued by Patkar, who led the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) that mobilised protests against the construction of the dam. The release titled 'True Face of Patriot', alleged that Saxena had donated a cheque to NBA, which later bounced and implied that he covertly aided the movement, which he publicly opposed. In May last year, metropolitan magistrate Raghav Sharma found Patkar guilty, sentenced her to five months imprisonment and imposed ₹10 lakh fine. The sessions court in April this year, upheld the conviction but set aside the jail term and released Patkar on probation. The HC upheld the sessions court order, observing that the same was passed after due consideration of evidence and law. The order of July 29 said, 'The record suggests that the essential ingredients of Section 499 (criminal defamation) of the IPC are clearly made out. The imputations made were specific, published in the public domain and caused harm to the reputation of the respondent. The order under challenge appears to have been passed after due consideration of the evidence on record and the applicable law.' Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh appearing for Patkar said that the HC disbelieved the statement of witnesses produced in favour of Patkar's defence. Patkar asserted she had no connection either with and did not have knowledge about the press note. Parikh further submitted that the release could have been typed by anyone and mere addition of the name at the end of the note, could not be considered as a proof that the release was issued or caused to be published by her. Saxena was represented in the top court by senior advocate Maninder Singh. The L-G maintained that Patkar was actively involved in the issuance of the press release. He further submitted that even though the 70-year old activist was not a convenor of the web portal on which the press release was uploaded, she was directly correlated to it since the portal contained NBA's office address, which is same as Patkar's address. The high court had modified the condition of probation requiring her to physically appear before the trial court every three months. The high court said that she could either appear online or through her lawyer. The top court held that the supervision order in this regard will not be given effect to.
Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Defamation case: Delhi court issues non-bailable warrant against social activist Medha Patkar
A Delhi court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against social activist Medha Patkar for not furnishing probation bonds in a 24-year-old defamation case lodged against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena. On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court had refused Patkar's plea to stay for two weeks the proceedings for execution of a probation bond linked to the case and had asked her to approach the trial court. On April 8, the court of Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh had granted the activist a one-year probation in the case, noting that the leader of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) had received multiple awards for her work and that the offence committed by her was not grave enough to warrant imprisonment. Also read | The defamation case stems from a press release issued by Patkar on November 25, 2000, titled 'True Face of Patriot'. Earlier, the court had dismissed Patkar's appeal against her conviction in the defamation case filed in 2000, where she had allegedly called Saxena, who headed an NGO in Gujarat at the time, a 'coward' and alleged his involvement in hawala transactions. On May 24, 2024, a magistrate court had held Patkar's statements defamatory and sentenced her to a five-month jail term on July 1. However, additional sessions judge Singh had suspended Patkar's sentence and granted her bail on July 29 last year. The defamation case stems from a press release issued by Patkar on November 25, 2000, titled 'True Face of Patriot'. While Saxena's organisation had actively supported the Sardar Sarovar Project of the Gujarat government, the NBA, headed by Patkar, was leading a mass movement in opposition to the project. In the press release, Patkar had alleged that Saxena, who was then the president of the non-profit National Council of Civil Liberties, was supporting the NBA in secrecy. She alleged that he had given a cheque to the NBA and it had subsequently bounced.
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi HC refuses Medha Patkar extension of lower court order
New Delhi The Delhi high court on Tuesday declined to postpone the execution of a sessions court order releasing activist Medha Patkar on probation in a 2001 criminal defamation case filed by Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena. On April 8, sessions judge Vishal Singh had granted Patkar probation, directing her to deposit ₹1 lakh as compensation and furnish a personal bond of ₹25,000 by April 23. The court noted that Patkar, leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), was a person of repute with no prior convictions. The order came after Patkar appealed a May 24 ruling by a metropolitan magistrate that denied her relief and sentenced her to five months in jail. On Tuesday, Patkar's counsel sought a two-week deferment of the execution, citing her absence from Delhi. The plea was heard by justice Shailender Kaur, who declined the request and advised the counsel to approach the trial court. 'Whatever is the order before the trial court, please follow the order. Please move the trial court (for postponing the execution),' justice Kaur told Patkar's counsel. The application was filed as part of Patkar's appeal against an April 2 city court order upholding her conviction. On April 7, the high court scheduled May 19 as the next hearing in the matter. The defamation case stems from a press release issued by Patkar on November 24, 2000, titled 'True Face of Patriot.' In it, she alleged that Saxena, then president of the National Council of Civil Liberties (NCCL), had donated a cheque to the NBA that later bounced. Patkar implied Saxena, a vocal supporter of the Sardar Sarovar Project, was covertly aiding the movement he publicly opposed. At the time, Saxena's NGO was involved in exposing unfair trade practices and tax evasion in interstate commerce. Saxena filed the defamation complaint on January 18, 2001, alleging that Patkar's claims were false and intended to damage his reputation. On May 24, 2024, metropolitan magistrate Raghav Sharma found Patkar guilty, concluding that her statements were deliberate, malicious, and aimed at tarnishing Saxena's image. On July 1, Sharma sentenced her to five months in prison and imposed a ₹10 lakh fine. The sessions court later overruled the jail term, releasing Patkar on probation. However, the order was conditional on the timely deposit of compensation and execution of the bond, now due on April 23.
