Saket Court suspends activist Medha Patkar’s sentence for defaming Delhi L-G VK Saxena

A Court in Delhi on July 29 suspended the sentence awarded to social activist Medha Patkar in the criminal defamation case filed by former Lieutenant Governor (K-G) of Delhi V K Saxena.

The Saket court also granted Patkar bail on a bail bond of ₹25,000 and one surety of a similar amount. The court also issued notice to the Delhi L-G and sought his reply on September 4, according to news agency ANI.

The Court had, on July 1, granted Patkar a five-month jail term in a 23-year-old defamation case against Delhi L-G Saxena. The court had also directed her to pay ₹10 lakhs as compensation to L-G for the harm to his reputation.

The sentence was, however, suspended till August 1 in order to allow Patkar to file an appeal.

Patkar had challenged the trial court order of July 1.

The case pertains to a press release shared by Patkar in November 2000. In May this year, the court observed that calling Saxena—then the president of an NGO in Gujarat—a "coward" and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions had also been crafted to incite negative perceptions about him.

Patkar and Saxena have been locked in a legal tussle since 2000 after she filed a suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan. The Delhi L-G had also filed two cases against Patkar in 2001 for making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and issuing a defamatory press statement.

Earlier, L-G Saxena's counsel prayed to the court for Medha Patkar's maximum punishment. The counsel for Medha Patkar, however, sought her release on probation in good condition in view of her age.

Patkar was convicted in a defamation case filed by Saxena in 2001.The arguments on sentencing were completed on May 30, following which the judgment on the quantum of sentence was reserved on June 7.

(With inputs from Agencies)