NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today asked the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar and the head of an Ahmedabad-based NGO, who have filed three cross defamation cases against each other, to reach a compromise and referred the matters to the mediation centre.
Metropolitan Magistrate Vasundhra Chhaunkar said both Patkar and V K Saxena, President of NGO National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), were public figures and their long legal tussle was not leading anywhere.
“You both are public figures. Why don’t you sit and talk? The matter is being referred to mediation centre. You both try to reach settlement today itself before a mediator and inform the court on next date of hearing,” the metropolitan magistrate said while posting the matter for July 30.
During the brief hearing, Patkar deposited Rs 3,000 fine imposed on her for non-appearance on the last date of hearing of the case and submitted a medical certificate regarding her ailments.
The court, which was to pronounce its order on framing of defamation charges against Patkar in one of the three cases, asked her why she was not trying to settle the dispute with Saxena, as both have to come to Delhi from Ahmedabad for the cases which have been going on for the past 14 years.
Counsel appearing for Patkar said the Supreme Court was already hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of section 499 and 500 (defamation) of IPC and if Saxena was ready to withdraw two cases against her, then she would withdraw her case “within five minutes”.
Saxena’s counsel Mahipal and Shubhashis Soren said that Patkar has lodged a false case against him at Ahmedabad and any settlement could be reached only if she withdraws her case against him.
“You should not go into mediation with a blocked mind but with an open mind. Try to reach a settlement and if you fail to do so, then court will proceed accordingly,” the magistrate said. On January 13, the court had imposed a cost of Rs 3,000 on Patkar for her non-appearance before it giving her “last and final opportunity” to appear.
Court has already framed charges in two others cases and they were listed for complainant evidence.
Earlier on March 25 last year, both Patkar and Saxena had informed the court that it was not possible for them to reach a compromise and withdraw the defamation cases lodged against each other.
The chief of the NGO had then told the court that he had approached Patkar for a settlement but she had refused to agree to some of the clauses put by him. And hence, he was not going to settle the issue.
Patkar and Saxena have been embroiled in legal tussle since year 2000, after she filed a suit against him for advertisements published against herself and Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Patkar had filed a defamation case against Saxena, who in turn, had filed two lawsuits against her.–PTI
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