Delhi Court Convicts Activist Medha Patkar in Defamation Case Filed by Delhi LG Saxena

A Delhi court on Friday found Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar guilty of criminal defamation in a case lodged against her by V K Saxena, who is the incumbent lieutenant governor of Delhi. Medha Patkar has been involved in a prolonged legal battles with Saxena, who accused her of making derogatory comments against him on a TV channel.

New Delhi : A Delhi court on Friday convicted social activist and Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar in a defamation case. The court gave this verdict on a petition filed by then KVIC chairman V K Saxena, who is now Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG). Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma found Patkar guilty of criminal defamation. Under the relevant law, Medha Patkar can be punished with two years of imprisonment or fine or both.

A legal battle has been going on between Medha Patkar and LG Saxena since 2000. Then Medha Patkar had filed a case against V K Saxena for publishing an advertisement against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan movement. According to the information, at that time Saxena was the head of the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties.

V K Saxena had also filed two cases against her for making derogatory comments against him on a TV channel and for issuing an alleged defamatory statement to the press.

Medha Patkar has been an active Indian social worker who is also involved in social reforms. She is also known as the founder of Narmada Bachao Andolan. Narmada river passes through Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and reaches the Arabian Sea. The then government had given permission to build many small dams on this river. This caused a loss to thousands of tribals in protect against which Medha Patkar started the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

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