Patkar's SUSPENDED Sentence Revives Legal Battle with L-G Saxena

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has challenged the appeal filed by Medha Patkar against her five-month sentence, claiming the appeal is legally invalid. The court had previously suspended Patkar's sentence in a defamation case. The matter is scheduled for further proceedings on October 18.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Wednesday contested the appeal submitted by Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar against her five-month prison sentence, asserting that the appeal was legally flawed and should thus be dismissed.

Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh of the Saket Court had suspended Patkar's sentence on July 29 in the long-standing defamation case filed by Saxena 23 years ago, during his tenure as head of a Gujarat-based NGO.

Patkar received a five-month simple imprisonment sentence and a Rs 10 lakh fine from a magisterial court on July 1. Saxena's counsel, Gajinder Kumar and Kiran Jai, argued that Patkar's appeal carried only the signature of her counsel, and was unsupported by her own signature and an accurate affidavit. The court will revisit the case on October 18 for further proceedings.