Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar was sentenced to 5 months of simple imprisonment by Delhi’s Saket court in connection with a defamation case filed by then KVIC Chairman VK Saxena (now Delhi LG). The court also directed Patkar to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Saxena.
Reacting to the court’s verdict, Patkar said that she has not tried to defame anyone and will challenge the decision.“The truth can never be defeated…We have not tried to defame anyone, we only do our work…We will challenge the court’s judgement…” she said.
Delhi’s Saket court has suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar to challenge the judgement.
Rejecting Patkar’s prayer to release her on the condition of probation, the judge said, “Considering the facts…damages, age and ailment (of the accused), I am not inclined to give excessive punishment.” The offence entailed a maximum punishment of simple imprisonment of up to two years or fine or both.
On May 24, the court had observed that Patkar’s statements calling Saxena a “coward” and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions were not only defamatory per se but also crafted to incite negative perceptions about him. Also, the accusation that the complainant was “mortgaging” the people of Gujarat and their resources to foreign interests was a direct attack on his integrity and public service, it had said.
The arguments on sentencing were completed on May 30, following which the judgment on the quantum of sentence was reserved on June 7. Patkar and Saxena have been locked in a legal tussle since 2000 after she filed a suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA).
Saxena, who then headed an Ahmedabad-based NGO named ‘Council for Civil Liberties’, had also filed two cases against Patkar in 2001 for making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and issuing a defamatory press statement.
The counsel for VK Saxena submitted that they do not want any compensation, they will give it to the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DLSA). The court said that compensation would be given to the complainant, and then you could dispose of it as per your wish.
