Sudha Murthy-Sambhaji Bhide encounter raises eyebrows
Mumbai, Nov 8: A video showing author and philanthropist Sudha Murthy bowing before the leader of a right wing outfit in Maharashtra has gone viral, evoking sharp reactions.
Sambhaji Bhide, whose feet the wife of Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy is seen touching in the video, was recently served a notice by the State Women's Commission for refusing to talk to a woman journalist because she had no bindi' on her forehead.
Bhide had asked the woman journalist to apply bindi' before speaking to him and not be "like a widow" by not applying the coloured dot/sticker on the centre of the forehead.
The latest viral video is from Sangli in western Maharashtra, where Sudha Murthy was on Monday to interact with her readers at a promotional event of her books, many of which have been translated into Marathi.
A functionary of Bhide's Shiv Pratishthan outfit said his leader met Sudha Murthy for help in installation of a golden throne at Raigad fort, the erstwhile capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
However, an aide to Sudha Murthy, mother-in-law of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said the author wasn't aware who Bhide was and had bowed to him out of respect for a senior citizen.
Yojana Yadav, editorial head at Mehta Publishing House which organized the Sangli event claimed local police insisted that Bhide should be allowed to meet Sudha, despite not being invited for the event.
"Sudha Murthy had refused to meet anyone but Bhide's supporters arrived at the event without any invitation. With the presence of a large number of Bhide's supporters outside the auditorium, the local police came under pressure and requested us to let Bhide met Murthy, who was then interacting with the readers," Yadav told PTI.
"The pressure was so much that a visibly annoyed Sudha Murthy had to discontinue her interaction with her readers and went out to meet Bhide. She was not aware who Bhide was, so she asked me his age. She bowed before him out of respect accorded to elders," she said.
"She later told me that Bhide wanted to speak to her for one and a half hours but she told him that she did not have more than one and a half minute for him," Yadav said.
Yadav also said that she later cautioned Sudha Murthy that the visual of that meeting with Bhide could be used for propaganda.
Reacting to the meeting, senior journalist Nikhil Wagle tweeted, "What was achieved by touching the feet of such a meeting such a notorious person?"
Aam Aadmi Party national executive member Preeti Sharma Menon tweeted, "Trust she wore a bindi. When people like Sudha Murthy meet bigots like Bhide, they reveal their true colours."
Social activist Vishwambhar Choudhari tweeted," There is something messed up with us, or else Sudha Murthy would not have buckled under pressure to meet Bhide, leave aside touching his feet."
Maharashtra | Author & philanthropist Sudha Murthy met and took blessings from Shiv Pratishthan founder Sambhajirao Bhide during an event in Sangli yesterday pic.twitter.com/VYm34y1MNI
— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2022
सुधा मूर्ती यांनीच हा व्हिडिओ ट्विटरवर टाकलाय. जर नाईलाजाने भेट झाली तर अशा बदनाम माणसाच्या पाया पडून काय साध्य झालं? https://t.co/ri3xBG2h7r
— nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) November 8, 2022
Trust she wore a #Bindi.
— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) November 8, 2022
When people like Sudha Murthy meet bigots like Bhide, they reveal their true colours. https://t.co/U8evfkejRQ
— Sudha_murthy (@sudhamurty) November 8, 2022
Once upon a time, she questioned ‘only men’ policy of TELCO and stood against men dominance
— Punam Singh✨ (@Its_punam) November 8, 2022
Now taking blessings from a man who refused to talk a journalist cos she was not wearing a Bindi
What a fall Mrs Sudha Murthy 😞😞 https://t.co/PcNjdr9QTl
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Delhi court acquits activist Medha Patkar in defamation case filed by LG V K Saxena
New Delhi (PTI): A court here on Saturday acquitted social activist Medha Patkar in a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi L-G V K Saxena, saying the prosecution failed to prove that she made the alleged defamatory statements during a television programme in 2006.
The complaint was filed by Saxena, then president of the National Council for Civil Liberties, alleging that Patkar had defamed him during a TV programme.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Raghav Sharma, while hearing the case, said the complainant had failed to produce legally admissible evidence to establish that Patkar had made the impugned statements.
According to the complaint, Patkar had allegedly claimed during the programme that Saxena and his NGO had received civil contracts connected with the Sardar Sarovar project, an allegation Saxena denied and termed defamatory.
The court said the material on record showed that Patkar was not a panellist on the programme and that only a short pre-recorded video clip of her was played during the telecast.
"It is important to note that neither the reporter who actually recorded the audio-video nor any person who had seen the accused making the impugned statements has been examined as a witness.
"It is also crucial to note that the clip played in the programme/show appears to be only a very short clipping from an interview or press conference of the accused," the judge said.
The court noted that to establish anything in the case, it is essential to produce the entire video and audio of the press conference before the court about the alleged defamatory remarks given by the accused.
"Without examining the entire clip or footage of that interview, no determination can be made regarding the speech of the accused," the judge said.
The court said that Saxena failed to place on record the original video footage or the recording device that allegedly captured the defamatory remarks, and as a result, the statements attributed to Patkar could not be established.
"The only document capable of proving that the accused made the impugned statements would be the original electronic device in which such statements were recorded," the court said, adding that neither the device nor a valid secondary copy was placed on record.
The case was filed before a court in Ahmedabad. It was transferred to Delhi in 2010 on the orders of the Supreme Court.
In the absence of legally admissible evidence proving publication of defamatory statements by Patkar, the court acquitted her of the charge under IPC Section 500 (defamation).
In August 2025, in a separate defamation case filed by VK Saxena, the Supreme Court confirmed Patkar's conviction ordered by the trial court and set aside a penalty of Rs 1 lakh imposed on her in the case.
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