<p>A Delhi court on Monday sentenced activist <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/activist-medha-patkar-convicted-in-defamation-case-filed-by-delhi-lg-v-k-saxena-23350929" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Medha Patkar</a> to five months simple imprisonment in a 23-year-old defamation case lodged against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena when he headed an NGO in Gujarat, reported news agency PTI.</p>
<p>According to PTI, Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/fir-against-activist-medha-patkar-11-others-in-madhya-pradesh-for-misuse-of-funds-she-denies-allegations-23235432" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Medha Patkar</a>.</p>
<p>The court sentenced Medha Patkar after considering the evidence before it and the fact that the defamation case went on for over two decades.</p>
<p>However, the court suspended the sentence for one month to enable Patkar to file an appeal against the order.</p>
<p>Rejecting Patkar's prayer to release her on the condition of probation, the judge said, "Considering the facts...damages, age and ailment (of the accused), I am not inclined to give excessive punishment," reported PTI.</p>
<p>The offence entailed a <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/medha-patkar-moves-sc-seeking-immediate-release-of-prisoners-above-70-years-of-age-23179005" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">maximum punishment</a> of simple imprisonment of up to two years or fine or both.</p>
<p>On May 24, the court had observed that Patkar's statements calling Saxena a "coward" and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions were not only defamatory per se but also crafted to incite negative perceptions about him.</p>
<p>Also, the accusation that the complainant was "mortgaging" the people of Gujarat and their resources to foreign interests was a direct attack on his integrity and public service, it had said.</p>
<p>The arguments on sentencing were completed on May 30, following which the judgment on the quantum of sentence was reserved on June 7.</p>
<p>Patkar and Saxena have been locked in a legal tussle since 2000 after she filed a suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/farmers-tractor-rally-violence-yogendra-yadav-medha-patkar-among-37-named-in-fir-23157390" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Narmada Bachao Andolan</a> (NBA), reported PTI.</p>
<p>Saxena, who then headed an Ahmedabad-based NGO named 'Council for Civil Liberties', had also filed two cases against Patkar in 2001 for making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and issuing a defamatory press statement.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>(With inputs from PTI)</strong></em></p><p>
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A Delhi court sentenced activist Medha Patkar to five months simple imprisonment in 23-year-old defamation case lodged against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor

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Defamation case: Delhi court sentences Medha Patkar to 5 months in jail

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