New Delhi, Aug 11 (UNI) The Supreme Court today upheld social activist Medha Patkar’s conviction in a two-decade-old defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, but waived the penalty of Rs 1 lakh imposed on her.
A Bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N.K. Singh sustained the conviction while granting the activist relief from the monetary penalty.
The case dates back to 2000, when Saxena, then President of the National Council of Civil Liberties, published an advertisement titled “True face of Ms. Medha Patkar and her Narmada Bachao Andolan” criticising the NBA, the movement opposing dam construction on the Narmada River.
In response, Patkar issued a press note alleging that Saxena had visited Malegaon, praised the NBA, and contributed Rs 40,000 through a cheque to Lok Samiti for the movement, which later bounced. She claimed the cheque had come from the Lalbhai Group.
Saxena filed a defamation suit in Ahmedabad in 2001, which was transferred to Delhi in 2003 on Supreme Court orders.
In May–July 2024, a magistrate court at Delhi convicted Patkar, sentencing her to five months’ imprisonment and imposing Rs 10 lakh compensation to Saxena.
The revisional court upheld the conviction but altered the sentence, placing Patkar on probation for one year upon furnishing a bond of Rs 25,000 with surety and reducing compensation to Rs 1 lakh.
Patkar challenged the verdict before the Delhi High Court, which also upheld the conviction while modifying probation terms to require her appearance before the trial court every three months in person, online, or through an advocate.
She then approached the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order. Senior Advocate Sanjay Parikh represented Patkar, while Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, along with advocates Gajinder Kumar, Kiran Jai, and Somya, appeared for Saxena.
