A Delhi court on Friday convicted Medha Patkar, leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), in a defamation case lodged by V K Saxena, the incumbent lieutenant governor of the national capital.
The conviction was handed down by Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma, who found Patkar guilty of criminal defamation.
Under the relevant law, Medha Patkar could face a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both as punishment.
The legal battle between Patkar and V K Saxena has been ongoing since 2000. The conflict began when Medha Patkar filed a suit against V K Saxena for publishing advertisements against her and the NBA. At the time, V K Saxena was the chief of the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties.
V K Saxena, in turn, filed two cases against Medha Patkar. These cases involved allegations that she made derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and issued a defamatory press statement.
The court’s decision marks a significant development in the prolonged legal feud between the two prominent figures.
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