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This is an archive article published on April 13, 2023
Patkar says state ‘indirectly helping’ L-G Saxena, seeks to make submissions
Saxena has ascribed Patkar of “vindictive motive to imprint mass prejudice against the entire trial”, and “more precisely” against Saxena.
New Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena
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Patkar says state ‘indirectly helping’ L-G Saxena, seeks to make submissions
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Social activist Medha Patkar on Wednesday tendered an application before an Ahmedabad magistrate court that she be permitted to make written and oral submissions in New Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena’s plea seeking abeyance of a criminal trial in a 2005 case.
Meanwhile, Saxena, objecting to Patkar’s application, said that she has “attempted to give political colour of a sub-judice matter by supplying” the copy of Saxena’s plea seeking abeyance of trial against him “to a ruling political party of Government of NCT of New Delhi”, referring to AAP.
Saxena has ascribed Patkar of “vindictive motive to imprint mass prejudice against the entire trial”, and “more precisely” against Saxena.
Saxena in his response to Patkar’s application has attached images from a press conference by AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh as well as images of AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal seen with Patkar in 2014 during Lok Sabha elections, indicating Patkar’s “association” with the party. Saxena has also submitted that Patkar in 2014 joined AAP and contested the 2014 LS elections for the North-East Mumbai constituency.
Patkar has submitted that despite it being the responsibility of the government to respond to Saxena’s plea, it has not filed any response and is “indirectly helping” Saxena.
Saxena, along with three others including Ellisbridge BJP MLA Amit Shah, Vejalpur BJP MLA Amit Thaker and Congress leader Rohit Patel, is accused of unlawful assembly, rioting, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation, for allegedly attacking Patkar in 2002 outside Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram.
On March 1, Saxena had, invoking Constitutional provisions that grant immunity to governors and the President of India from being answerable to courts while holding office, filed an application seeking that the criminal trial against him be kept in abeyance till the time he occupies the L-G office.
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Patkar’s application submitted before the court of magistrate PN Goswami through her lawyer Govind Parmar stated that “it is the state’s responsibility to respond (to Saxena’s plea for abeyance of trial against himself) and since the state has not filed any reply, I (Patkar), as the first informant, have filed a response…and as the first informant, if i’m not heard, the purpose of justice will be defeated.”
The court is expected to decide Patkar’s application on April 24.
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