Court Suspends Medha Patkar's Sentence in 23-Year-Old Defamation Case

A court in Delhi has suspended the five-month imprisonment sentence awarded to Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar in a defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena. This ruling stems from a 23-year-old case when Saxena headed an NGO in Gujarat. The court also granted Patkar bail.

A court here on Monday suspended the five-month simple imprisonment sentence awarded to Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar in a defamation case filed against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena 23 years ago, when he headed an NGO in Gujarat.

On an appeal filed by Patkar, Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma suspended the sentence and issued a notice to the opposite party (LG), Saxena's counsel Gajinder Kumar said.

The court also granted bail to Patkar on a bail bond and surety bond of Rs 25,000, according to Kumar.

Kumar, who received the notice, stated that a reply must be filed before the next hearing date on September 4.

The court had initially sentenced Patkar to jail on July 1, following her conviction on May 24. The court observed that her statements calling Saxena a ''coward'' and alleging his involvement in ''hawala'' transactions were defamatory and designed to create negative public perceptions.

The allegations that Saxena mortgaged the people of Gujarat and their resources to foreign interests were seen as direct attacks on his integrity and public service, the court noted.

Arguments on sentencing were completed on May 30, with judgment on the sentence reserved on June 7.

Patkar and Saxena have been engaged in legal battles since 2000, after she sued him for publishing adverse advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

Saxena, who then led the Ahmedabad-based NGO 'Council for Civil Liberties', filed two defamation cases against Patkar in 2001 over derogatory remarks she made on television and in a press statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)