New Delhi: Social activist Medha Patkar was granted relief from imprisonment by a Delhi court on Tuesday, April 8, in a defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. The court, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh, suspended Patkar's five-month jail sentence and placed her on a one-year probation period, citing her age and clean criminal record.
The 70-year-old social activist, appeared for the hearing via video conferencing. The judge ruled that custodial sentencing was not warranted in this case and that the court would monitor her conduct over the next year. “Considering the nature of the offence, the age of the convict, and the fact that she has no previous criminal record, this court is of the opinion that no purpose would be served by sending her to jail,” the court stated, as quoted by India Today.
Compensation Amount to Saxena Reduced
The court also reduced the compensation amount payable to VK Saxena from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 lakh, giving a further reprieve to Patkar. The initial ruling, delivered by a magistrate court, had sentenced her to five months in prison and had imposed a higher compensation for defamation. However, the sessions court upheld the conviction, significantly modifying the sentence.
For the unversed, 'probation' in court proceedings allows a convicted individual to avoid incarceration on the condition of good behaviour, offering them an opportunity for reform while remaining under supervision.
More About the Case
The defamation suit stems from a two-decade-old controversy. In 2000, Saxena, then President of the National Council of Civil Liberties, published an advertisement criticising Patkar's Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), a movement opposing dam projects on the Narmada river.
In response, Patkar issued a press note titled 'True Facts of a Patriot – Response to an Advertisement', where she alleged that Saxena had previously supported the NBA, visited Malegaon, and even donated Rs 40,000 through the Lalbhai Group, a cheque that reportedly bounced. “The cheque, please note, came from Lalbhai Group. What is the connection between Lalbhai Group and VK Saxena? Who among them is more patriot?” the press note read.
Saxena later filed a defamation suit against Patkar in Ahmedabad in 2001, which culminated in the recent ruling.
