Hours after arrest, Medha Patkar withdraws HC plea against defamation conviction
Her petition was challenging a city court’s order that upheld her conviction in a 2001 criminal defamation case filed by Delhi lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena
New Delhi: Social activist Medha Patkar on Friday withdrew her petition in the Delhi High Court challenging a city court’s order that upheld her conviction in a 2001 criminal defamation case filed by Delhi lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
The development came just hours after she was arrested by the Delhi Police, following a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued by the city court for failing to comply with the conditions required for release on probation.
The case stems from a press release issued by the Narmada Bachao Andolan leader on November 24, 2000, in which she alleged that Saxena, who was the president of non-profit organisation National Council of Civil Liberties at the time, had given a cheque to NBA, which subsequently bounced. Saxena, who was actively involved in ensuring the timely completion of the Sardar Sarovar Project, filed the defamation case on January 18, 2001, alleging that Patkar’s press release contained false accusations intended to harm his reputation.
On May 24, 2024, metropolitan magistrate Raghav Sharma convicted Patkar concluding that her actions were deliberate, malicious and aimed at tarnishing Saxena’s reputation. On July 1, 2024, judge Sharma sentenced Patkar to undergo five months imprisonment along with ₹10 lakh as fine.
Also read: Activist Medha Patkar arrested in defamation case filed by Delhi L-G
On April 2, sessions judge Vishal Singh had upheld metropolitan magistrate Raghav Sharma’s May 2024 order convicting Patkar in the defamation case. On April 8, Singh had granted Patkar probation directing her to deposit ₹1 lakh as compensation and furnish a personal bond of ₹25,000 by April 23.
However on Wednesday, judge Singh issued the NWB, upon her failure to fulfil the conditions, noting that Patkar instead of appearing in court for compliance of the order on sentence, was absent and deliberately failed to comply with the same.
A high court bench of justice Shailender Kaur dismissed Patkar’s petition as withdrawn, after the social activist’s counsel submitted that his client would file the same afresh by also challenging the order on sentence.
“The counsel for the petitioner submits that he seeks to withdraw the criminal revision petition with liberty to file afresh. In view of the submissions made, the petition is dismissed as withdrawn with liberty as prayed as per law,” the order read.
