VK Saxena defamation case: Delhi Court adjourns hearing Medha Patkar's appeal after part arguements

New Delhi [India], October 18 : Delhi's Saket Court on Friday adjourned the hearing on an appeal filed by social activist Medha Patkar after hearing her counsel's part arguements. Patkar has challenged her conviction and sentence in a defamation case filed by the incumbent LG VK Saxena 24 years ago.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vishal Singh adjourned the hearing after hearing part submissions till November 14.
On Friday advocate Sridevi appeared for Medha Patkar and made her submissions. On the other side advocate Gajinder Kumar and Chandrashekhar appeared for VK Saxena.
On September 4, counsel for Saxena filed a reply on the appeal filed by social activist Medha Patkar saying the appeal is not maintainable and is liable to be dismissed as it was not signed by the appellant Medha Patkar.
It was also stated that a false Affidavit was also filed in support of the appeal. It is the ground of rejection itself.
The counsel for VK Saxena had also urged the court to ask Medha Patkar to surrender.
Advocate Gajinder Kumar had also submitted that Medha Patkar has filed an affidavit of July 17, 2024, sworn and notarized at Madhya Pradesh and it can not be deemed that the present Appeal has been filed by the appellant since the affidavit predates the appeal petition.
It was further submitted that the present appeal cannot be deemed to have been filed on July 27 and cannot be considered as pending appeal so the appellant was not eligible to have benefit of order of suspension of sentence passed by the court on July 29.
On the other hand, it was submitted by the appellant Medha Patkar that the appeal was prepared at her instructions by her counsels and she had the final draft of the appeal with her when she sworn the affidavit on July 17, 2024 filed with the appeal petition on July 24, 2024 through E filing and on July 27, 2024 Physically in the court.
After hearing the submissions, the court said that to avoid the possibility and confusion about knowledge of the content of the appeal actually filed in the court accompanying affidavit, it deems if fit, at this stage, to require the appellant to send the E-copy of appeal affirmed by her as correct through her personal email id to the official email id of this court in within 7 days.
The court, on the request of counsel for Saxena, kept pending the issue of validity/genuineness of this appeal petition, subject to legal arguements.
In July, the Saket court had sentenced Medha Patkar to five months imprisonment in Defamation case filed by V K Saxena. She was also directed to pay Rs. 10 Lakh compensation to Saxena. This case pertains to the defamation of Saxena. This case was decided after a period of 24 years.