Activist Medha Patkar sentenced to 5 months simple imprisonment in defamation case

A Delhi court handed down a five-month simple imprisonment sentence to Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar, on July 1 in a defamation case. The case was initiated by V K Saxena, who was the Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) at the time of the incident and is now the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

The Saket court also directed Patkar to compensate Saxena with Rs 10 lakh. The ruling stemmed from accusations that Patkar had made defamatory remarks against Saxena in the course of her activism.

In response to the verdict, Patkar expressed her determination to appeal, stating, "The truth can never be defeated... We have not tried to defame anyone, we only do our work... We will challenge the court's judgement."

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