New Delhi: The social activist and leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, Medha Patkar, was convicted by a Delhi court on Friday in a defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. The judgment was passed by the Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma at the Saket court of New Delhi, and he has been framed for criminal defamation. In this capacity, she is liable to the law and may be exposed to a two-year imprisonment or a fine, or in the worst-case scenario, both penalties apply.
The legal battle began between Patkar and the Delhi LG in 2000 when she filed a case against him for putting out personal advertisements against her and the NBA. For instance, Vinai Kumar Saxena, who has been heading the Ahmedabad-based National Council for Civil Liberties, has often been in continuous spite with Baba Kisan Patkar for eight years.
Also, following the episodes of aggression, Saxena filed two other cases against Patkar. Therefore, one of them is regarding alleged comments regarding a TV channel in which she used abusive language to a person named Usman Khalid, and the other is regarding a press statement defaming some individuals.
This conviction is a stunning legal and potentially commercial turn in a long-running battle between the two factions. It raises issues and difficulties associated with legal cases related to defamation, which can be tested in the frame of activist activities.
The imprisonment of Patkar underlines examples of legal consequences that activists might experience while continuing their advocacy. It also underscores the significance of reporting good practices, particularly if the message is disseminated in a socially sensitive cause.
Looking at the future of the case, it remains the center of much attention of legal professionals and other stakeholders who focus their interest on law, activism, and matters of free speech.
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