New Delhi, March 04 (HS): The Sessions Court of Saket Court, Delhi today reserved the decision on the petition challenging the sentence of Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar, who was convicted in the criminal defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh reserved the decision after hearing the arguments of both the parties.
During the hearing, the lawyer appearing on behalf of VK Saxena had urged the court to direct Medha Patkar to surrender and said that Patkar’s petition is not admissible for hearing. He had said that it should be dismissed because Medha Patkar’s petition does not have her signature.
On July 27, 2024, the Sessions Court had issued a notice to VK Saxena, staying the decision of the Judicial Magistrate. Medha Patkar has challenged the sentence of five months imprisonment and a fine of ten lakh rupees given by the Judicial Magistrate in the Sessions Court. The Judicial Magistrate had sentenced Medha Patkar on 01 July 2024. The Judicial Magistrate’s Court had said that the maximum sentence in this case is two years, but considering Medha Patkar’s health, a sentence of five months is given. The court had also ordered to suspend this sentence for 30 days.
The court had convicted Medha Patkar under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code. The court had said that it has become clear that the accused Medha Patkar made allegations against VK Saxena with false information only to damage the reputation. Let us tell you that on 25 November 2000, Medha Patkar had issued a statement in English accusing VK Saxena of transactions through hawala and called him a coward. Medha Patkar had said that VK Saxena was mortgaging the people of Gujarat and its resources for foreign interests. Such a statement was a direct attack on the integrity of VK Saxena.
Medha Patkar had said in her defence filed in the court that VK Saxena has been issuing false and defamatory statements since the year 2000. Patkar had said that VK Saxena had also physically attacked her in 2002, after which Medha had lodged an FIR in Ahmedabad. Medha had told the court that VK Saxena was working for corporate interests and he was against the demands of those opposing the Sardar Sarovar Project.
VK Saxena had filed a criminal defamation case against Medha Patkar in the Ahmedabad court in 2001. The trial court of Gujarat had taken cognizance of this matter. Later in 2003, the Supreme Court transferred the hearing of this case from Gujarat to Saket Court in Delhi. In 2011, Medha Patkar declared herself innocent and said that she would face the trial. When VK Saxena filed the case in Ahmedabad, he was the president of the National Council for Civil Liberties.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
