Police Arrest Activist Medha Patkar in 24-Year-Old Defamation Case Filed by Delhi L-G
The Wire Staff
New Delhi: The Delhi police on Friday (April 25) arrested social activist Medha Patkar in connection with a 24-year-old defamation case moved against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena.
The arrest comes after a Delhi court had issued a non-bailable warrant in the case filed in 2000 against Patkar, reported Indian Express.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had refused Patkar’s plea to stay for two weeks the proceedings for execution of a probation bond linked to the case. The court had asked the leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) to approach the trial court.
The defamation case relates to the time when L-G Saxena headed an NGO in Gujarat. Patkar had allegedly called him a “coward” and alleged his involvement in hawala transactions.
In a press release dated November 25, 2000, Patkar had alleged that Saxena was supporting the NBA in secrecy. At the time Saxena’s NGO had actively supported the Sardar Sarovar Project of the Gujarat government. The NBA was leading a movement in opposition. Patkar also alleged that he had given a cheque to NBA and it bounced.
In May last year, a magistrate court had held Patkar’s statements defamatory and sentenced her to a five-month jail term on July 1. Later the court had suspended the sentence and granted her bail on July 29, 2024.
In April 8 this year, while hearing the case, additional sessions judge Vishal Singh of Delhi’s Saket court had granted Patkar a one-year probation in the case. He said that the social activist had received awards for her work and that the offence committed by her was not serious enough to warrant imprisonment.
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