Medha Patkar Acquitted in 20-Year-Old Defamation Case by Delhi Court

• Social activist Medha Patkar was acquitted by a Delhi court in a two-decade-old criminal defamation case filed by current Delhi LG VK Saxena.
• The case originated from a 2006 complaint by Saxena, then head of NCCL, regarding Patkar's statements on the Sardar Sarovar Project.
• The court cited "evidentiary gaps," including the failure to produce original video footage or recording device of the allegedly defamatory statements.
• Lack of eyewitnesses to the interview recording and inconsistencies in testimony further weakened the prosecution's case.
• This acquittal is distinct from another defamation case where Patkar's conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court in August 2025, but her sentence was modified.

Why It Matters: Medha Patkar cleared in a 20-year-old defamation case due to lack of evidence, closing a long legal chapter.