Court acquits Medha Patkar in defamation case by Delhi L-G
What's the story
A Delhi court has acquitted social activist Medha Patkar in a criminal defamation case filed against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena. The case was based on allegations that Patkar made defamatory statements against Saxena during a live television program in 2006. Judicial Magistrate First Class Raghav Sharma of Saket Court delivered the judgment, noting that "without original footage or the device recording the same being brought on record," it remains unproven that Patkar made the alleged statements.
Deposition analysis
Court's observations on Saxena's deposition
The court also considered the statements of the then TV anchor Nirnay Kapoor while passing the judgment. It noted that Saxena never claimed Patkar was present in the studio or as a panelist during the show. 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," Judicial Magistrate Raghav Sharma observed.
Evidence gap
Lack of original footage hinders defamation claim
The court emphasized that the original footage recording Patkar's alleged statements was not 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," Judge Sharma said. The court concluded that Saxena failed to prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt against Patkar, leading to her acquittal in this two-decade-old defamation case.