NEW DELHI, | JULY 29 2025 – The Delhi High Court on Tuesday upheld social activist Medha Patkar’s conviction in a long-standing defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena in the year 2000.
COURT VERDICT AND PROBATION RELIEF
Justice Shalinder Kaur ruled that there was “no illegality in the decisions of the trial and appellate courts to convict her” in the case initiated by Saxena, related to statements made by Patkar in response to an advertisement.
While upholding the conviction, the Court retained the appellate court’s decision to release Patkar on probation, but granted a partial relief by modifying the conditions of the probation.
“All the other conditions do not require any interference by this Court,” Justice Kaur stated.
Instead of appearing before the trial court every three months as previously required, Patkar may now appear online or be represented by an advocate.
BACKGROUND OF THE DEFAMATION CASE
In 2000, Vinai Kumar Saxena — then President of the National Council of Civil Liberties — published an advertisement titled:
“True face of Ms. Medha Patkar and her Narmada Bachao Andolan”
The ad was a critique of Patkar’s leadership in the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), a movement that opposed large dam projects on the Narmada River.
In response, Patkar issued a press note titled:
“True Facts of a Patriot – Response to an Advertisement”
In this press statement, Patkar alleged that Saxena had previously visited Malegaon, praised the NBA, and even donated ₹40,000 via cheque from the Lalbhai Group to Lok Samiti for the movement — a cheque that allegedly bounced.
She wrote:
“The cheque, please note, came from Lalbhai Group. What is the connection between Lalbhai Group and VK Saxena? Who among them is more ‘Patriot’?”
These remarks led Saxena to file a criminal defamation case against her in Ahmedabad in 2001. The matter was transferred to Delhi in 2003 by an order of the Supreme Court of India.
TRIAL COURT CONVICTION AND APPEAL
In May-July 2024, the magistrate court found Patkar guilty and sentenced her to five months in jail, along with an order to pay ₹10 lakh as compensation to Saxena.
The Court observed:
“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.”
It further noted that Patkar implied 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.”
MODIFICATION BY SESSIONS COURT AND HIGH COURT APPEAL
On April 2, 2025, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vishal Singh of Saket Courts upheld the magistrate court’s verdict.
However, on April 8, the Sessions Court modified the sentence, releasing Patkar on probation. She was ordered to:
Furnish a probation bond of ₹25,000
Provide one surety of the like amount
Serve a probationary period of one year
Pay ₹1 lakh compensation instead of ₹10 lakh
Patkar subsequently moved the Delhi High Court, challenging her conviction.
LEGAL REPRESENTATION
For Medha Patkar:
Senior Advocate Sanjay Parikh, along with Advocates Abhimanue Shrestha and Kritika
For VK Saxena:
Advocates Gajinder Kumar, Kiran Jai, Chandra Shekhar, Kajal Bhati, and Karan Murari Sah
CONCLUSION
The Delhi High Court’s ruling marks the culmination of a legal battle spanning over two decades, affirming Medha Patkar’s conviction while offering partial relief by easing the terms of her probation.
This case highlights the intersection of activism, freedom of expression, and defamation laws in India — especially involving prominent public figures and politically charged movements like the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
