New Delhi, April 8: A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered the release of noted social activist Medha Patkar on one-year probation for good conduct in a defamation case filed by current Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
The Saket District Court passed the order considering Patkar’s age—she is 70—and her clean criminal record. The court stated that there was no justification to deny her the benefit of probation and emphasized that sentencing must be proportional to the offence.
Patkar, who had earlier challenged her conviction and five-month jail term, appeared before the court via video conferencing. Her legal team also filed an application seeking exemption from physical appearance.
Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh, after hearing arguments from both sides, directed her release on probation and also reduced the compensation amount from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 lakh. The detailed order is expected to be uploaded later in the day.
Earlier, on April 2, the Sessions Court had upheld Patkar's conviction handed down by the Magistrate Court in the 2001 defamation case. During sentencing arguments, Patkar’s counsel Advocate Sridevi Pannikar highlighted her age and contributions as a prominent social activist, noting that she had been granted bail during trial.
Conversely, VK Saxena’s counsels, Advocates Gajinder Kumar and Kiran Jai, argued that the sentence should act as a deterrent, especially given Patkar’s public influence. They stressed that repeated offences must be avoided, particularly by individuals in the public eye.
Patkar’s legal team noted that an appeal against the conviction is pending before the Delhi High Court and decisions on further challenges will follow once the full court order is received.
