LG Saxena defamation case: Medha Patkar arrested, released later after paying bail bond

Social activist Medha Patkar, who was arrested by the Delhi Police on Friday morning for not complying with her sentencing conditions, was released later in the day after she furnished a probation bond and deposited Rs 1 lakh in compensation at a Delhi court.

Patkar was taken into custody following a non-bailable warrant issued against her in a 23-year-old defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.

The arrest came after Patkar failed to appear in court on April 23 to comply with her sentencing conditions, namely, the formal submission of a probation bond and payment of the imposed fine. The sessions court had granted her probation on April 8, offering relief from a five-month simple imprisonment sentence handed down in July last year. This leniency, however, was contingent on compliance with court directives, terms she did not fulfil.

In court on Friday, Patkar’s counsel submitted that the non-bailable warrants had been executed, affirming that the probation order remained valid as she was now present before the court.

Following which Additional Sessions Judge Vipin Kharb orally directed her release, conditional upon the furnishing of the probation bonds and payment of the compensation amount, after her counsel assured the court that the earlier order would be duly complied with.

However, Saxena’s counsel opposed the acceptance of her bail bond by the court, on the ground that she was furnishing the bail bond due to coercive action rather than voluntarily. His counsel also argued that the matter should be adjudicated upon by the designated court that had issued an NBW against her and should be heard on May 3, the date set by that court.

Later at 4.30 pm, Patkar was released after she deposited Rs 1 lakh as bail bond, which was accepted by the court.