Delhi’s Saket Court on Friday convicted Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar in a defamation case filed against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma found Patkar guilty of criminal defamation. Under the relevant law, social activist Patkar faces a jail term of up to 2 years or fine or both.
What did the court say?
While convicting Medha Patkar, the Saket court said, “The statements of the accused terming the complainant a coward, unpatriotic and involved in hawala transactions were not only defamatory but also designed to incite negative perceptions.”
What was the matter?
Patkar and Saxena have been locked in a legal battle since 2000, when Patkar filed a suit against Saxena for publishing an advertisement against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). Saxena was then the head of the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties. Saxena had also filed two cases against Patkar for making derogatory comments against him on a TV channel and issuing defamatory statements to the press.
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