Medha Patkar arrested in 24-yr-old defamation case filed by Delhi LG Saxena

The arrest follows a non-bailable warrant issued by a Delhi court after Patkar failed to appear before it or comply with earlier directions to submit a probation bond and pay a fine of ₹1 lakh

Veteran social activist Medha Patkar was arrested by the Delhi Police on Friday for failing to furnish probation bonds in connection with a 24-year-old defamation case filed against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.

 

The arrest follows a non-bailable warrant issued on Wednesday by a Delhi court after Patkar failed to appear before it or comply with earlier directions to submit a probation bond and pay a fine of ₹1 lakh. The case, dating back to the year 2000, was filed by Saxena during his tenure as the president of the National Council of Civil Liberties, a Gujarat-based NGO. Saxena alleged that Patkar defamed him through a press release issued on November 24, 2000.

 

Warrant issued after Patkar failed to meet court directives

Earlier this month, Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh had convicted the 70-year-old activist and granted her probation on the condition of good conduct, paired with a ₹1 lakh fine. However, her absence from Wednesday’s proceedings and failure to meet the court's directives led to the issuance of the warrant.

 

Saxena’s lawyer, Gajinder Kumar, accused Patkar of deliberately evading legal responsibilities. The court also labelled her adjournment plea as “mischievous and frivolous”, and warned that it may revisit her sentence if she fails to comply by the next hearing on May 3.

 

What is the defamation case about?

The original defamation complaint stemmed from Patkar’s statements in which she allegedly called Saxena a “coward” and accused him of involvement in hawala transactions and betraying Gujarat’s people to foreign interests. In May last year, a magistrate ruled that her remarks were defamatory and calculated to damage Saxena’s public image.

 

Who is Medha Patkar?

Patkar, a long-time leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), has been a prominent voice against large-scale development projects like the Sardar Sarovar Dam, which she argues displace thousands of tribal villagers and threaten vast tracts of forest and farmland. Known for her non-violent resistance, Patkar gained recognition for enduring arrests, beatings, and extended hunger strikes over the decades in her campaign against forced displacement and environmental degradation.

 

[With agency inputs]