Court Seeks Reply From Governor Office Over Petition By Medha Patkar Against Her Conviction

The court has issued a notice to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, requesting a response to the appeal filed by activist Medha Patkar against her conviction in a criminal defamation case. The appeal challenges the sentence handed down by the sessions court related to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor, VK Saxena. The next hearing is on September 4.

Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma had sentenced Medha Patkar to five months in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh. Patkar’s appeal contests this decision. The court had stated that a sentence of one or two years is not excessive given Patkar’s age and health. On May 24, the court convicted Patkar under Section 500 of the IPC.

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The criminal defamation case against Patkar originated in 2001 when VK Saxena, then head of the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties, filed the complaint. Saxena alleged that Patkar’s press note, titled Deshbhakt ka Asli Chehra, falsely accused him of involvement in dubious financial transactions and claimed he had issued a bounced cheque. Patkar also labeled Saxena a coward and not a patriot.

During the sentencing hearing, Saxena’s lawyer argued for the maximum punishment, while Patkar’s lawyer highlighted her extensive social work and numerous awards, urging for leniency due to her age and good conduct.

The court’s judgment described Patkar’s actions as deliberate and unfortunate, aimed at damaging Saxena’s reputation. It criticized Patkar’s allegations as not only defamatory but also fabricated to create negative perceptions. Additionally, the judgment noted that accusing Saxena of mortgaging Gujarat’s resources for foreign interests was a direct attack on his integrity and public service.