Today, On 7th April, Social activist Medha Patkar has approached to the Delhi High Court to fight against a defamation case decision. She was earlier found guilty for saying wrong things about someone. Now, she wants the court to cancel that decision. The court will hear her side and decide what to do next.
New Delhi: Social activist Medha Patkar approached to the Delhi High Court to contest her conviction in a defamation case initiated by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. This case dates back to 2001, when Saxena alleged that Patkar made defamatory remarks about him.
The trial court upheld her conviction and ordered her to appear in person for sentencing on April 8, 2025. Patkar’s attorney argued that the sessions judge lacked the authority to issue such an order after delivering the verdict.
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They requested additional time to address this matter and sought permission for Patkar to appear via video conference instead of in person. Justice Shalinder Kaur’s bench granted her counsel the opportunity to file an application for this request and scheduled the next hearing for May 19, 2025.
The origins of the case trace back to a press note published by Patkar in 2000, which Saxena claimed included false and defamatory statements about him.
At that time, Saxena was the President of the National Council of Civil Liberties (NCCL), an organization that supported the Sardar Sarovar Project in Gujarat.
Also Read: Delhi Court Upholds Medha Patkar’s Jail Term & Rs 10 Lakh Fine for Defaming LG VK Saxena
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vishal Singh of Saket Courts upheld the magistrate court’s conviction and sentencing of Medha Patkar on April 2. The sessions judge determined that it was established beyond reasonable doubt that Patkar had published a press note containing defamatory statements aimed at damaging the reputation of VK Saxena.
The Sessions court remarked,
“The active involvement of Medha Patkar in authoring the Press Note dated 24/11/2000 and its publication in document… is writ large on face of record. Conversely, the involvement of Medha Patkar is as hidden as an elephant behind an office table. It is only that Medha Patkar used smoke screen of virtual world of Internet to disseminate the Press Note in contention,”
Patkar, as the leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, opposed the project and allegedly accused Saxena of backing her movement and making financial contribution claims he denied. In July 2024, the Saket Court Magistrate convicted Patkar of defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, sentencing her to five months of simple imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 10 lakh.
Additionally, she was ordered to pay Rs 10 lakh in compensation to Saxena. Patkar appealed the conviction, but the Saket District Court dismissed her appeal in March 2025, upholding the original ruling.
Saxena, who served as the President of the National Council of Civil Liberties, had published an advertisement in 2000 criticizing Patkar’s Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), a movement opposing the construction of dams on the Narmada River. The advertisement was titled “True Face of Ms. Medha Patkar and Her Narmada Bachao Andolan.”
In response to this advertisement, Patkar issued a press notice titled “True Facts of a Patriot – Response to an Advertisement.” This notice alleged that Saxena had previously visited Malegaon, praised the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and issued a Rs.40,000 cheque to Lok Samiti for the movement. It also claimed that the cheque, which was from the Lalbhai Group, had bounced.
The press note stated,
“The cheque, please note, came from Lalbhai Group. What is the connection between Lalbhai Group and VK Saxena? Who among them is more ‘Patriot’?”
The issues raised in the press note led Saxena to file a defamation suit against Patkar in a court in Ahmedabad in 2001. The case was later transferred to Delhi in 2003 following orders from the Supreme Court.
In July 2024, Patkar was found guilty in the case, and the magistrate court sentenced her to five months in prison, along with a Rs.10 lakh compensation payment to Saxena. This prompted her to file an appeal with the sessions court.
Saxena claimed he had never visited Malegaon and had not praised the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), which he believed was opposed to national projects. He also denied having issued any cheque to Lok Samiti. Furthermore, he presented witnesses who testified that they received the press note via email from Patkar.
Patkar, however, denied issuing or sending any press note or email to anyone, including rediff.com, which had published it. She also stated that she had no connection with the Narmada.org website and was unaware of any press note released by the NBA, asserting that Narmada.org was not affiliated with her or the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
The sessions court noted that while there was no direct evidence that Patkar had emailed the press note, it was accessible on the Narmada.org website, which promoted the NBA through press releases and organized visits by Medha Patkar for public outreach and education.
Therefore, the court concluded that Patkar’s involvement in authoring and publishing the press note was evident. The judge remarked that she merely used the internet as a smoke screen to disseminate it.
Regarding the press note’s content, the court found it to be false, confirming that Saxena had neither visited Malegaon nor provided any cheque to Lok Samiti of the NBA. Based on these findings, the court upheld Patkar’s conviction.
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