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This is an archive article published on April 23, 2025

Delhi HC rejects Medha Patkar’s plea to stay probation bond linked to defamation case by Delhi L-G

Patkar has been accused of making defamatory statements in 2000, calling Saxena, who headed an NGO in Gujarat at the time, a “coward”

Medha Patkarthe HC is due to consider her plea challenging her conviction next on May 19 (Express Archive)

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused a plea by activist Medha Patkar to stay the proceedings for execution of a probation bond linked to a defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena over two decades ago, when he headed a nonprofit in Gujarat.

A sessions court in Delhi on April 2 had upheld her conviction for defamation by a magistrate court in 2024. The sessions court had, however, reduced the punishment from a five-month jail term to a one-year probation, and the fine from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 lakh in an order on April 8. Patkar challenged both the orders before the High Court.

Advocate Abhimanue Shrestha, representing Patkar in the HC, told Justice Shalinder Kaur, who was hearing the appeal on Tuesday, “Tomorrow, the trial court has fixed (the date) to pay Rs 1 lakh amount (as fine) and furnish (execute) a probation bond…I’ve moved an application for suspension of that…Would your lordship consider protecting me for two weeks?”

Justice Kaur responded that Patkar could approach the trial court. “You can ask the trial court for that. Please don’t come to the court on the last date,” said the Judge.

Justice Kaur, however, recorded that Patkar may move an appropriate application with her request before the trial court, and the same “shall be considered as per law.”

Patkar has been accused of making defamatory statements in 2000, calling Saxena, who headed an NGO in Gujarat at the time, a “coward” and alleging his involvement in hawala transactions.

Meanwhile, the HC is due to consider her plea challenging her conviction next on May 19.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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