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2d ago

Delhi High Court Suspends Medha Patkar's Sentence in Defamation Case

The activist was arrested and released on bond after failing to meet probation terms in a decades-old defamation case filed by Delhi L-G V.K. Saxena.

On May 24, 2024, metropolitan magistrate Raghav Sharma convicted Patkar concluding that her actions were deliberate, malicious and aimed at tarnishing Saxena’s reputation
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On July 1 last year, the court sentenced her to five months’ simple imprisonment. (PTI file photo)
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Overview

  • Medha Patkar was arrested on April 25, 2025, following a non-bailable warrant issued for non-compliance with court-ordered probation conditions.
  • The defamation case stems from a 2000 press release where Patkar accused V.K. Saxena of misconduct, leading to her conviction in May 2024.
  • A sessions court had granted Patkar probation in April 2025, contingent on paying ₹1 lakh in compensation and furnishing a bond, which she failed to do by the deadline.
  • Hours after her arrest, Patkar was released upon fulfilling the probation conditions, including the compensation payment.
  • Later that day, the Delhi High Court suspended her sentence, granted bail with a ₹25,000 bond, and allowed her to file a fresh revision petition against her conviction.