Premium

Medha Patkar acquitted in defamation case filed by Delhi L-G

VK Saxena filed case in 2006; court says original footage of activist speaking not produced

2 min readNew DelhiJan 25, 2026 06:57 AM IST

Social activist Medha Patkar was acquitted by a Delhi court in a 2006 criminal defamation case filed by Delhi L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena. (File photo)

A Delhi court on Saturday acquitted social activist Medha Patkar in a criminal defamation case moved against her by Delhi L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena in 2006, noting that “without original footage or the device recording the same being brought on record”, it remains unproven that the accused made the alleged defamatory statements.

Saxena, who was then the president of the National Council of Civil Liberties (NCCL), had alleged that on April 20, 2006, during a live television programme, Patkar had made defamatory statements against him.

These alleged statements pertained to Saxena getting contracts related to the Sardar Sarovar Project. During the news programme where Saxena was present in person, he said that he had never received any such contract.

The court considered the statements of then TV anchor Nirnay Kapoor while passing the judgment. It The court reasoned that Saxena never said that Patkar was present in the studio or as a panelist during the show, and instead, Saxena’s deposition “reinforces the suspicion that the accused was not a panelist in the show and that only her audio-video footage was played therein,” said Judicial Magistrate First Class Raghav Sharma of Saket Court in his order.

“This footage is relevant only for proving that the complainant attended the programme, that the clip of the accused was played, that he saw it and reacted to it, and for proving other aspects recorded therein… The dispute lies on the fact that whether accused made the impugned statements. It is the original audio video recording which originally recorded the accused speaking impugned statements, which would prove the disputed fact. This document has not been tendered in the evidence,” he added.

“The original footage recording the accused speaking as such at the relevant time has not been produced in court. Without such original footage or the device recording the same being brought on record, the fact that the accused made the impugned statements remains unproved,” the judge added.

Nirbhay Thakur

Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey. 2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More