Medha Patkar gets 5-month jail in Delhi LG defamation case

A Delhi court sentenced activist Medha Patkar to five months of simple imprisonment in a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi LG VK Saxena. The court of metropolitan magistrate Raghav Sharma took note of the 70-year-old activist’s age and medical condition but observed that these factors “do not absolve her of the serious nature of her offence”.
The court also directed Patkar to pay Rs 10,00,000 as compensation to Saxena saying that the imposition of such a substantial fine would serve as a compensatory measure for the complainant. It recognises the “extensive harm and prolonged suffering the complainant had endured over the 23-24 years of legal battle” and was a tangible acknowledgement of his pain and distress, said the court.
The offence entailed a maximum punishment of simple imprisonment of up to two years or fine or both.
The sentence will remain suspended for 30 days to give Patkar enough opportunity to file an appeal, said the court. It had on May 24 convicted the activist in the case filed in 2000 by Saxena when he was president of National Council of Civil Liberties because of a defamatory press release.
“The unfounded accusations, such as involvement in hawala transactions and compromising the interests of Gujarat's people for foreign entities, were designed to ruin the complainant's public image and credibility. The complainant experienced profound damage to his reputation, trustworthiness and social standing. These defamatory remarks led to severe personal & professional hardships, forcing complainant to suffer through anguish of a drawn-out legal battle for over 20 years,” said the court.