Supreme Court Upholds Medha Patkar’s Conviction in Defamation Case, Removes ₹1 Lakh Fine
On 11 August, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with activist Medha Patkar’s conviction in a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. The Court upheld the verdict while removing the ₹1 lakh penalty earlier imposed on her.
A Bench of Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh modified the Delhi High Court’s probation order by removing the condition that required Patkar to appear before the trial court every three years. Instead, she can now furnish bonds without making periodic appearances.
The case dates back to a press release issued by Patkar on 25 November 2000, titled “True Face of Patriot”. In it, she accused Saxena of being involved in hawala transactions, claimed he issued the Narmada Bachao Andolan a cheque of ₹40,000 which bounced, and called him a coward and unpatriotic.
In April 2025, the trial court found Patkar guilty under Section 500 of the IPC, holding that her remarks were made with malice and damaged Saxena’s reputation. She was given probation instead of a jail term but ordered to appear before the court periodically.
The Delhi High Court later upheld her conviction, finding no legal or procedural errors. However, it allowed her to appear before the court every three months via physical presence, video conference, or through her lawyer. Her plea to summon another witness in her own defamation case against Saxena was also rejected.
The Supreme Court has now closed the matter by affirming her conviction and removing the fine, while relaxing the probation conditions.
Case Title: Medha Patkar vs V.K. Saxena, SLP (Crl) No. 11953/2025
