NEW DELHI: Delhi court on Monday suspended the five-month simple imprisonment sentence given to Medha Patkar, a leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, in a defamation case filed by lieutenant governor of Delhi V K Saxena. The case was filed by Saxena when he was the head of an NGO in Gujarat 23-years-ago.
Patkar’s appeal led to the suspension of the sentence by Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma, who also issued a notice to the opposite party, according to Saxena’s counsel Gajinder Kumar.
The court granted bail to Patkar on a bail bond and surety bond of Rs 25,000, Kumar said. He added that a reply must be filed before the next hearing date on September 4.
On July 1, the court had sentenced Patkar to jail, following her conviction on May 24. The court observed that Patkar’s statements, which called Saxena a “coward” and alleged his involvement in “hawala” transactions, were not only defamatory per se but also designed to incite negative perceptions about him.
Furthermore, the accusation that the complainant was “mortgaging” the people of Gujarat and their resources to foreign interests was considered a direct attack on his integrity and public service.
The legal battle between Patkar and Saxena began in 2000 when Patkar filed a suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan. In response, Saxena, who was then the head of an Ahmedabad-based NGO called “Council for Civil Liberties,” filed two cases against Patkar in 2001 for making derogatory remarks against him on a television channel and issuing a defamatory press statement.
Patkar’s appeal led to the suspension of the sentence by Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma, who also issued a notice to the opposite party, according to Saxena’s counsel Gajinder Kumar.
The court granted bail to Patkar on a bail bond and surety bond of Rs 25,000, Kumar said. He added that a reply must be filed before the next hearing date on September 4.
On July 1, the court had sentenced Patkar to jail, following her conviction on May 24. The court observed that Patkar’s statements, which called Saxena a “coward” and alleged his involvement in “hawala” transactions, were not only defamatory per se but also designed to incite negative perceptions about him.
Furthermore, the accusation that the complainant was “mortgaging” the people of Gujarat and their resources to foreign interests was considered a direct attack on his integrity and public service.
The legal battle between Patkar and Saxena began in 2000 when Patkar filed a suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan. In response, Saxena, who was then the head of an Ahmedabad-based NGO called “Council for Civil Liberties,” filed two cases against Patkar in 2001 for making derogatory remarks against him on a television channel and issuing a defamatory press statement.