Narmada Bachao Andolan Activist Medha Patkar Convicted in Defamation Case Filed By Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena

A Delhi court on Friday, May 24, convicted Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar in a defamation case lodged against her by Delhi L-G and former Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman V K Saxena.

Patkar and Saxena have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2000 after she filed a suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the NBA. Saxena was then the chief of an Ahmedabad-based NGO, National Council for Civil Liberties.

“The accused's statements, calling the complainant a coward, not a patriot, and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions, were not only Defamatory per-se but also crafted to incite negative perceptions,” the court noted.

Delhi's Saket court convicts Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar in defamation case filed then KVIC Chairman V K Saxena (now Delhi LG).

— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2024

Saxena, in turn, had filed two cases against her for making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and issuing a defamatory press statement against him.