Today, On 11th August, Supreme Court convicted activist Medha Patkar in a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena, upholding the verdict and Rs.1 lakh penalty imposed earlier, while refusing to interfere with her conviction.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court declined to intervene in the conviction of activist Medha Patkar in a criminal defamation case initiated by Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena.
However, the Court upheld the Rs.1 lakh penalty imposed on Patkar in this matter.
A bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh set aside the Rs.1 lakh penalty earlier imposed on Medha Patkar.
The bench expressed that it was not inclined to challenge the Delhi High Court’s decision regarding Patkar’s release on “probation of good conduct,” which required her to appear before the trial court once every three years.
The bench stated,
“However, taking into consideration the submission of the counsel for the petitioner, the penalty imposed stands set aside and we further clarify that the supervision order will not be given effect.”
While the trial court had exempted her a jail term by granting probation, the Supreme Court modified this order removing the requirement for her periodic appearances and allowing her to furnish bonds instead.
Also Read: BREAKING| Medha Patkar Convicted by Delhi Court in Defamation Case Filed by VK Saxena
The case originated from a press release issued by Patkar on November 25, 2000, titled “true face of patriot.”
In this statement, she accused Saxena of being involved in hawala transactions, claimed he had given the NBA a cheque for Rs.40,000 that later bounced due to a nonexistent account, and labeled him a coward and unpatriotic.
In April 2025, the trial court found Patkar guilty under Section 500 of the IPC, determining that her statements were made with deliberate malice, intended to harm Saxena’s reputation and significantly damage his standing.
The court characterized her remarks as defamatory per se and intended to provoke negative perceptions.
Later that month, the Delhi High Court suspended Patkar’s sentence and granted her bail on a personal bond of Rs.25,000. Patkar then appealed the conviction and sentence to the Delhi High Court, along with a request to summon an additional witness in her own defamation case against Saxena.
On July 29, 2025, the High Court affirmed the conviction, stating that there was no illegality or material irregularity in the trial court’s decision. It noted that Patkar failed to demonstrate any procedural flaws or legal errors that would lead to a miscarriage of justice.
Also Read: Delhi Court Upholds Medha Patkar’s Jail Term & Rs 10 Lakh Fine for Defaming LG VK Saxena
While the High Court did not alter the sentence, it modified a probation condition requiring Patkar to appear before the trial court every three months, allowing her to present herself either in person, via video conference, or through her lawyer.
The court dismissed her appeals regarding both the trial court’s conviction and the rejection of her request to examine the additional witness.
Case Title: Medha Patkar vs V.K. Saxena, SLP (Crl) No. 11953/2025
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