Delhi HC asks Medha Patkar to approach trial court to postpone sentence

New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has refused to defer the furnishing of probation bond by social activist Medha Patkar. She was sentenced in a defamation case filed by LG V K Saxena. However, she was directed to be released on a probation of good conduct for one year.
The High Court has asked her to approach the trial court.
The trial court had directed her release on probation of good conduct for one year. She was asked to furnish a probation bond. Matter is listed before the trial court tomorrow.
Justice Shalinder Kaur refused to defer the operation of the order of furnishing of probation bond and compensation imposed upon social activist Medha Patkar.
The bench asked the counsel to approach the appeal court for the same and questioned why they had come at the last moment, as the matter is listed for tomorrow.
The High Court, after knowing the fact that the appeal court had awarded a sentence to Medha Patkar, asked to withdraw the petition against conviction and file a fresh petition.
Counsel for Medha Patkar submitted that they amending the earlier petition. On the other hand, advocate Gajinder Kumar, counsel to LG V K Saxena, opposed the submissions made by Patkar's counsel.
Medha Patkar had approached the Delhi High Court, challenging her conviction in a defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
The case dates back to 2001, when Saxena accused Patkar of publishing defamatory statements about him. The trial court had upheld her conviction and directed her to appear in person for sentencing on April 8, 2025. Thereafter, she was sentenced and directed to be released on probation of good conduct.
Patkar's counsel had argued before the High Court 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 conferencing instead of in person.
The bench of Justice Shalinder Kaur had 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 organisation 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 Rs 10 lakh.
She was also directed to pay Rs 10 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 emphasised that the evidence presented during the trial proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Patkar's press note was defamatory.
It also clarified that the translation of the press note into Gujarati by a news portal 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)