New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has stayed the proceedings against social activist Medha Patkar in the defamation case. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena was sentenced to five months imprisonment and a fine in a defamation case filed 23 years ago when he was the head of an NGO. This is now stayed by the Delhi High Court. On May 24, the Delhi court sentenced Medha in the defamation case. The court issued a notice to the complainant Delhi Lt. Governor VK Saxena and granted bail to Medha Patkar on a bond of Rs 25,000. The court asked Saxena to reply to the notice on September 4.
Meanwhile, Medha Patkar had filed a case against Saxena for publishing advertisements against her and Narmada Bachao Andolan. After this, Saxena filed a defamation case against Medha in 2001. Saxena has filed two cases alleging that Medha Patkar made defamatory remarks against her on a television channel and issued a defamatory press release.
Saxena headed the National Council for Civil Liberties, an Ahmedabad-based NGO. The complaint alleged that Saxena was called a ‘coward’ and was involved in hawala transactions. After two years, the case was transferred to the Delhi court as per the instructions of the Supreme Court.
