Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 25: Social activist Medha Patkar was arrested by Delhi Police on Friday following the issuance of a non-bailable warrant by a court in connection with a defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena.
The arrest came after Patkar, the prominent leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), failed to appear before the court and comply with a sentencing order passed earlier this month. The court had instructed Patkar to submit probation bonds and pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh as part of the defamation case that dates back to 2001.
The court, led by Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh, had expressed concern over Patkar’s deliberate non-compliance with its orders. “The intention of convict Medha Patkar is apparent that she is deliberately violating the Court order; she is avoiding to appear before the Court and also avoiding to accept the terms of the sentence passed against her,” said the judge in the court order.
Patkar, 70, was instructed on April 8 to be released on probation for one year, provided she deposited Rs 1 lakh in compensation to Saxena, the complainant. This order was in modification of the original trial court sentence, which had imposed five months of imprisonment and a Rs 10 lakh fine.
The defamation case arose from Patkar's remarks in a 2001 television interview and a press statement that Saxena, then head of the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties, deemed defamatory. It followed a legal dispute dating back to 2000 when Patkar had accused Saxena of publishing defamatory advertisements against her and her organization, the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
As the arrest unfolds, legal representatives for Saxena, including advocates Gajinder Kumar, Kiran Jai, and Chandra Shekhar, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision to enforce the warrant, which will ensure Patkar’s appearance in court.
Patkar will be presented before the court later today for further proceedings. The case has attracted attention due to the longstanding nature of the dispute and Patkar’s significant role in social activism.