Medha Patkar challenges defamation conviction in Delhi High Court

The trial court upheld her conviction and directed her to appear in person for sentencing on April 8, 2025.

Patkar's counsel argued that the sessions judge had no authority to issue such an order after delivering the judgment. They sought additional time to address this issue and requested permission for Patkar to appear via video conference instead of in person. The bench of Justice Shalinder Kaur granted her counsel the liberty to file an application for this request and scheduled the matter for further hearing on May 19, 2025.

The case stems from a press note published by Patkar in 2000, which Saxena claimed contained false and defamatory statements about him. At the time, Saxena was the President of the National Council of Civil Liberties (NCCL), an organization supporting the Sardar Sarovar Project in Gujarat.

Patkar, as the leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, opposed the project and allegedly accused Saxena of supporting her movement and making financial contributions--claims he denied.

In July 2024, the Magistrate Court of Saket Court of Delhi convicted Patkar of defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, sentencing her to five months of simple imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs10 lakh. She was also directed to pay Rs10 lakh in compensation to Saxena. Patkar appealed the conviction, but the Saket District Court dismissed her appeal in March 2025, upholding the original judgment.

The court emphasized that the evidence presented during the trial proved beyond reasonable doubt that Patkar's press note was defamatory. It also clarified that a news portal's translation of the press note into Gujarati did not alter its defamatory nature. The court concluded that the statements in the press note were factually incorrect and intended to harm Saxena's reputation.(ANI)