Activist Medha Patkar Convicted in Defamation Case Filed by Delhi LG V.K. Saxena

A Delhi court on Friday convicted Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader and activist Medha Patkar in a defamation case lodged against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena . Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma found Ms. Patkar guilty of criminal defamation under the Indian Penal Code, which carries a maximum punishment of two years' imprisonment or a fine, or both.

The legal dispute between Patkar and Saxena dates back to 2000 when the activist filed a lawsuit against Saxena for publishing advertisements that were critical of her and the NBA. At the time, Saxena was the chief of the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties. Saxena had also filed two separate cases against Patkar , alleging that she made defamatory comments about him during a television interview and issued a slanderous press statement.

In his 55-page judgment, the magistrate stated that reputation is one of the "most valuable assets a person can possess" and that Patkar 's statements calling Saxena "a coward, not a patriot, and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions" were not only defamatory but also crafted to incite negative perceptions. The court said Patkar 's actions were "deliberate and malicious, aimed at tarnishing the complainant's good name, and indeed caused substantial harm to his standing and credit in the eyes of the public."

The arguments on the quantum of sentence will be heard on May 30. This case is the latest in a long-running legal battle between the two parties, which has spanned over two decades.