Metropolitan court in Delhi today imposed fine of Rs.5,000 on Narmada Bachao Aandolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar for failing to appear before it and seeking exemption from personal appearance, in cases of defamation filed by her and V.K Saxena, president of Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council For Civil Liberties against each other.

The court ordered to impose a cost of Rs.200 on the NBA leader in another defamation case filed against her by Saxena. Medha Patkar’s counsel had sought exemption for her personal appearance, saying she was unable to appear before the court as she missed her flight from Indore. However the court noted that this was not the first time she was seeking exemption. Moreover O.P. Malaviya, counsel for Saxena, strongly opposed the plea of Patkar saying that it was not supported by any document. Malaviya said that the cost of Rs. 1,000 in each two cases were imposed on her for the same reason earlier as Patkar has not been attending the court proceedings regularly.

Saxena had filed the case in Ahmedabad but it was later transferred to New Delhi by the Supreme Court on the plea of Patkar, who said that she feared for her life in Gujarat.

The court posted the matter for May 6.