New Delhi: Delhi court has sentenced a controversial NGO operator Medha Patkar to five months imprisonment in a 23-year-old criminal defamation case filed by Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena. Patkar is ordered to pay ₹10 lakh in compensation to Saxena.

The court, however, temporarily suspended her sentence using section 389(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure until August 1, enabling her to file an appeal against the decision.

A court had convicted Medha Patkar on May 24th in this 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 Raghav Sharma. The case, dating back to 2001, underwent proceedings in a Delhi court. Magistrate Sharma while delivering the conviction verdict had emphasized the significance of reputation, highlighting its impact on personal, professional, and societal aspects.

The legal dispute between Patkar and Saxena traces back to 2000 when the latter 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. Additionally, Saxena filed two cases against Ms. Patkar, alleging derogatory remarks made by her on a TV channel in 2006 and a defamatory press statement. DeshGujarat