Court Upholds Medha Patkar's Conviction in 23-Year-Old Defamation Case

A Delhi court dismissed Medha Patkar's appeal against her conviction in a 23-year-old defamation case filed by V K Saxena. She was sentenced to five months in prison and fined Rs 10 lakh. The court found her guilty of defaming Saxena through a press note circulated in November 2000.

In a significant legal ruling, a Delhi court on Wednesday confirmed the conviction of activist Medha Patkar in a defamation case dating back 23 years. The case was originally filed by Delhi LG V K Saxena, who accused Patkar of defamation while he led an NGO in Gujarat.

Additional sessions judge Vishal Singh upheld a previous magisterial court order from May 24 last year, which found Patkar guilty under IPC Section 500 (defamation). The order had sentenced her to five months of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh.

The court was convinced that Patkar had authored and disseminated a defamatory press note dated November 24, 2000. Despite her arguments, the court found no merit in her appeal, describing her involvement in the publication as undeniable. The court directed her to appear on April 8 for sentencing.

(With inputs from agencies.)