Delhi court issues non-bailable warrant against Medha Patkar in defamation case by Delhi LG VK Saxena

A Delhi court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against social activist Medha Patkar in the defamation suit instituted by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. .Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh observed that Patkar was deliberately violating the order of sentence dated April 8 and avoiding court hearings after being convicted.“Instead of appearing before the Court and to comply with order on sentence dated 08/04/2025, the convict is absent and deliberately failed to comply with order on sentence and to avail of the benefit of probation subject to furnishing of compensation amount,” the Court stated..The Court stated that it is left with no option than to enforce the production of Patkar through a coercive order. “Issue NBWs against convict Medha Patkar, through office of Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police,” the Court ordered. It warned that if on the next date of hearing, Patkar does not comply with the order on sentence, then it would be constrained to reconsider the probation order and alter the order on sentence..Patkar was convicted in the case on May 24, 2024 by the trial court and was ordered to undergo five months imprisonment and pay ₹10 lakh compensation to Saxena.She filed a revision petition against the order.The Sessions Court then did away with the jail term and said she will be released on probation of good conduct for a period of one year and will pay ₹1 lakh to Saxena. Patkar was ordered to furnish a probation bond of ₹25,000 and surety of the same amount for an operative period of one year from the date of furnishing the bond. However, the Sessions Court noted that she has failed to comply with this order..Today, her counsel sought an adjournment citing pendency of criminal revision petition filed before Delhi High Court challenging the orders of conviction and sentence passed against her. It was further noted that Patkar had approached the Delhi High Court yesterday seeking directions for deferment of hearing at the Sessions Court. However, no such direction of stay or deferment was allowed by the High Court, the Sessions Judge noted..The Court dismissed Patkar’s application holding that it has no substance and is intended to hoodwink the court."The present application is frivolous and mischievous and is only calculated to hoodwink the Court. The present application is, therefore, dismissed," the Court stated.The next date of hearing is May 3.Advocates Gajinder Kumar, Kiran Jai, Chandra Shekhar, Drishti, Somya Arya and Abhishek Dubey appeared for VK Saxena.Medha Patkar was represented through advocate Abhimanue Shrestha..The defamation case dates back to the year 2000 when Saxena, who was President of an organisation called National Council of Civil Liberties, published an advertisement against Patkar's Narmada Bachao Andolan, the movement that opposed the construction of dams over the Narmada river.Following the publication of the advertisement, Patkar had issued a press notice against Saxena. The reporting of the press note led Saxena to file a defamation suit against Patkar before a court in Ahmedabad in 2001. The case was transferred to Delhi in 2003 on orders of the Supreme Court.While holding Patkar guilty of defamation, the Magistrate noted that Patkar had imputed that Saxena was “mortgaging the people of Gujarat and their resources before Bill Gates and Wolfensohn and he was an agent of the Government of Gujarat”.“It is evident that the accused harbored a clear intention to defame the complainant through her press note, given the deliberate and calculated nature of her statements," the order stated.The Court said that Patkar aimed to Saxena associate him with illegal and unethical financial dealings, which inflicted significant harm to his reputation and standing.The Magistrate ruled that the terms used by Patkar against Saxena were not only inflammatory, but were also intended to provoke public outrage and diminish his esteem in the eyes of the community.Appeal against this conviction was dismissed by the Sessions Court but the sentenced was modified to do away with prison term and the fine was also reduced.The same is yet to be complied with by Patkar..[Read Order]