HC upholds Patkar’s conviction in Saxena defamation case

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday upheld the conviction of social activist Medha Patkar in a defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena over two decades ago. However, the court granted her limited relief by easing the conditions of probation.

Justice Shalinder Kaur dismissed Patkar’s challenge to the verdicts of the lower courts, observing that there was no error in the trial court’s conviction or the appellate court’s affirmation of the same. “This court finds no infirmity in the decisions of the subordinate courts in convicting the accused,” the Judge said.

However, Justice Kaur modified one probation condition which required Patkar to physically appear before the trial court every three months. “This condition may be relaxed in favour of virtual appearance or through legal representation,” the Judge ruled.

The defamation case dates back to 2000 when Saxena, then president of the National Council of Civil Liberties, published an advertisement criticising Patkar and her Narmada Bachao Andolan. In response, Patkar issued a press release accusing Saxena of hypocrisy, saying Saxena had once praised the NBA during a visit to Malegaon and even donated Rs 40,000 via cheque from the Lalbhai Group, a cheque which she claimed had bounced.

Saxena initiated a criminal defamation case against her in Ahmedabad in 2001. The case was later shifted to Delhi by the Supreme Court in 2003.