Today, On 1st July, the court is set to deliver its sentencing decision in the defamation case involving activist Medha Patkar. The verdict, eagerly anticipated by legal observers and the public, will conclude a significant chapter in the ongoing legal battle surrounding allegations of defamation. This decision could have far-reaching implications for free speech and activism in the country.
New Delhi: Earlier, the Delhi court postponed its decision on the sentencing of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader, social activist Medha Patkar. The decision, originally expected Today, 1st July. Patkar, a prominent figure in the fight for the rights of those displaced by the Narmada dam project.
This decision comes in the context of a defamation lawsuit initiated by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena during his tenure as the head of an NGO in Gujarat.
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The judgment postponed by Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma following the submission of a victim impact report by the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA). This report, which crafted post-conviction, evaluates the extent of harm endured by the victim.
The alleged defamation can result in a penalty ranging from a simple jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.
Previously, on May 24, the court pointed out that Medha Patkar‘s remarks where she labelled Saxena a “coward” and accused him of engaging in hawala transactions inherently defamatory and intended to tarnish his reputation.
Furthermore, her claim that Saxena “mortgaging” the interests and resources of Gujarat to foreign entities viewed as a severe affront to his character and dedication to public duty.
The proceedings to determine her sentence concluded on May 30. The legal conflict between Patkar and Saxena dates back to 2000, beginning when Patkar initiated a lawsuit against him for circulating advertisements that criticized her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA).
In retaliation, Saxena, who led the Ahmedabad-based ‘Council for Civil Liberties’ at the time, brought two legal actions against Patkar, accusing her of making slanderous statements about him on a television broadcast and in a press release.
VK Saxena the chief of an Ahmedabad-based non-governmental organization called the National Council for Civil Liberties. He filed two cases against a social activist, alleging that she had made derogatory remarks about him on a TV channel and issued a defamatory press statement.
Last year, the Gujarat High Court provided temporary relief to Saxena by issuing an interim stay on any further proceedings related to the case concerning the alleged assault on the social activist in 2002.
Patkar initially gained prominence through her involvement in the Narmada Bachao Andolan, a movement that started in 1985 to advocate for the rights of tribal people, laborers, farmers, fishermen, and other residents of the Narmada valley.