Defamation case: Delhi court sentences Medha Patkar to 5 months in jail
New Delhi, Jul 1: A court here on Monday sentenced activist Medha Patkar 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.
Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Patkar.
The court sentenced Patkar after considering the evidence before it and the fact that the case went on for over two decades.
However, the court suspended the sentence for one month to enable Patkar to file an appeal against the order.
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."
The offence entailed a maximum punishment of simple imprisonment of up to two years or fine or both.
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.
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.
The arguments on sentencing were completed on May 30, following which the judgment on the quantum of sentence was reserved on June 7.
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 Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA).
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.
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Delhi court extends Kejriwal's custody till July 12
New Delhi, Jul 3: A court here on Wednesday extended till July 12 the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.
Kejriwal, who is in jail till July 12 in the CBI case related to the excise policy, appeared before the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja through video conference.
The court, meanwhile, reserved for June 6 its order on Kejriwal's application to allow his wife Sunita Kejriwal to be present as an attendant during his medical checkup.
During the proceedings, Kejriwal requested the court's permission to speak but the court said he is already being represented through his counsels.
Kejriwal said his wife was instrumental in managing his health over the years and as she had a detailed knowledge about his ailments and medical history, granting her access to his medical records every week was justifiable and essential.
"Transparency in his medical care is not only a legal requirement but also a critical component of ethical medical practice. Therefore, the applicant (Arvind Kejriwal) and his wife must be duly informed of all aspects of the treatment being administered, ensuring their capability to make informed decisions about his health," the plea said.
It sought the court's direction to the prison authorities to allow her to be his attendant during the medical consultations or follow-ups with the medical board or doctors, which would also allow Sunita Kejriwal to independently consult and seek advise from them.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has opposed the application.
