Social activist Medha Patkar has been sentenced to five-month of jail time in a 23-year-old defamation case by a Delhi court on Monday, July 1.
The defamation case was filed by the then president of the Ahemedabad-based NGO named National Council of Civil Liberties and present Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena. Patkar has also been ordered to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to Saxena.
Rejecting Patkar’s plea to release her, the court stated, “Considering the facts…damages, age and ailment (of the accused), I am not inclined to give excessive punishment.”
The court suspended her sentence under Section 389(3) (Convicted person can get a Bail from appellate court after filing the criminal appeal) of the Code of Criminal Procedure till August 1 so that she can appeal against the order.
In 2000, Patkar filed a suit against Saxena alleging he published advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA).
In 2001, Saxena said that Patkar issued a press release on November 25, 2000, titled, ‘True Face of Patriot’; thus causing harm to his reputation.
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