Medha Patkar defamation case: Narmada Bachao Andolan leader arrested after Delhi Court issued Non-Bailable warrant

Delhi Police arrested activist Medha Patkar after Saket court issued a Non-Bailable warrant (NBW) against her on April 23. She will be presented before the Saket court today. The court had she "deliberately" flouted its order to submit probation bonds and deposit ₹1 lakh fine in a defamation case of Delhi LG V K Saxena, who filed the case 23 years ago, when he led an NGO in Gujarat.

Additional sessions judge (ASJ) Vishal Singh, who held the Narmada Bachao Andolan leader guilty in the defamation case, released her on probation of good conduct on April 8.

Medha Patkar case: What happened in the court on Wednesday?

The matter on Wednesday was listed for Patkar’s appearance, furnishing of probation bonds and depositing the fine amount. Saxena’s counsel, advocate Gajinder Kumar, stated Patkar did not appear, nor did she conform with the court’s directions.

"In today’s matter, NBW (non bailable warrant) has been issued against Patkar through the Commissioner of Delhi Police, and the court has noted that the application filed by the convict for seeking an adjournment is mischievous and frivolous," Singh had said. “In case the convict does not comply with its order by the next date of hearing on May 3, then the court will consider altering the benevolent sentence passed on April 8,” he added.

The intention of convicting Medha Patkar is apparent that she is deliberately violating the court order, she is avoiding appearing before the court and also avoiding accepting the terms of the sentence passed against her. There is no order of suspension of sentence passed by this court on April 8, 2025. This court is left with no option but to enforce the production of convict Medha Patkar through coercive order," Singh had remarked.

As the president of the National Council of Civil Liberties, Saxena registered a case against Patkar for her defamatory press release against him, issued on November 24, 2000. A magisterial court in May last year ruled Patkar's statements terming Saxena a "coward" and claiming his involvement in hawala transactions were not only defamatory per se but also crafted to provoke negative perceptions about him.

The arguments on sentencing concluded on May 30, and the judgment on the sentence was reserved on June 7. On July 1, the court sentenced her to five months of imprisonment, after which Patkar had filed an appeal in the sessions court.

(Inputs from agencies)