New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday adjourned the hearing of an appeal by activist Medha Patkar, challenging her five-month jail sentence in a defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.

Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh postponed the hearing until November 14, as Patkar’s counsel had not yet completed their arguments. On Friday, advocate Sri Devi represented Patkar, while advocates Gajinder Kumar and Chandrashekhar appeared for Saxena.

Last month, Saxena filed a reply to Patkar’s appeal, arguing that it was legally invalid and should be dismissed, alleging she had submitted a “false” and “ante-dated” affidavit.

A court had convicted Medha Patkar on May 24 in the defamation case for the offense of criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The verdict was delivered by Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma of Saket Court. However, her sentence was suspended in July.

The legal dispute between Patkar and Saxena traces back to 2000 when Saxena served as the chief of the National Council for Civil Liberties, an Ahmedabad-based NGO. Patkar filed a lawsuit against him for publishing ads against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan. Saxena also filed two cases against Patkar, alleging defamatory remarks made by her on a TV channel in 2006 and a defamatory press statement. DeshGujarat