Delhi court on Friday convicted Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar in a defamation case lodged by Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena against her.
Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma found Patkar guilty of criminal defamation. Magistrate Sharma pointed out that reputation is one of the most valuable assets a person can possess, as it affects one both personally and professionally.
It can significantly damage one’s image, said the court. The activist may get a jail term of two years or a fine or both as the punishment.
Since 2000, a legal battle has been ongoing between Patkar and Saxena after the former filed a complaint against the latter for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). He was then the chief of the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties.
Saxena had also filed two cases against her for making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and issuing a defamatory press statement. The case in which Patkar has been convicted is from the year 2003.
Medha Patkar has been an active Indian social worker who is also involved in social reforms. She is also known as the founder of Narmada Bachao Andolan. Narmada river passes through Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and reaches the Arabian Sea.
The then government had given permission to build many small dams on this river. This caused a loss to thousands of tribals in protection against which Medha Patkar started the Narmada Bachao Andolan.