SC Upholds Medha Patkar’s Defamation Conviction in 2-Decade-Old Feud With VK Saxena. What Was The Case?

The Supreme Court on Monday (August 11) upheld the conviction of Narmada Bachao Andolan leader and activist Medha Patkar in a two-decade-old criminal defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, then chief of the National Council for Civil Liberties, in 2001. A bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice N Kotiswar Singh refused to interfere with the guilty verdict but set aside the RS 1 lakh penalty imposed by the trial court.

Two-Decade-Old Dispute: Fine Removed, Probation Relaxed

While the trial court had exempted Patkar from a jail term by granting probation, it required her to make periodic appearances. The Supreme Court on Monday modified this condition, allowing her to furnish bonds instead. The penalty amount was completely removed, despite Saxena’s counsel, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, pressing for at least a token fine.

What Was The Dispute About?

The case originated from a November 25, 2000 press note titled ‘True Face of Patriot’, in which Patkar accused Saxena of hawala links, issuing a Rs 40,000 cheque that later bounced, and called him a coward ‘not a patriot’. In April 2025, the trial court found the statements to be defamatory per se and intended to harm Saxena’s public standing.

Patkar’s conviction under Section 500 of the IPC had earlier been upheld by the Delhi High Court on July 29, 2025, which found no procedural defect or legal error in the trial court’s findings. The High Court also relaxed her probation conditions but refused to overturn the sentence.

As per reports, Patkar’s counsel Senior Advocate Sanjay Parikh argued that key witnesses were unreliable and that an email relied on by the prosecution was inadmissible under Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act. The Supreme Court, however, declined to revisit the evidence, limiting its relief to removing the fine and easing probation terms.