Wed Apr 02 12:06:43 UTC 2025: **Delhi Court Upholds Medha Patkar’s Defamation Conviction**
NEW DELHI (April 2, 2025) – A Delhi court today dismissed an appeal by Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar against her conviction in a 23-year-old defamation case. The case was filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, who at the time headed an NGO in Gujarat. The court upheld the conviction, and Patkar is scheduled to appear on April 8th for sentencing.
The original case stemmed from a 2000 press release issued by Patkar, which contained statements calling Saxena a “coward” and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions. A magisterial court last year found these statements defamatory and intended to incite negative perceptions. Patkar was subsequently sentenced to five months of simple imprisonment in July 2024, leading to her appeal. The court today rejected Patkar’s plea to introduce a new witness, deeming it a tactic to delay the trial. The sentencing phase of the case concluded in May 2024.
First Piper 