Supreme Court Upholds High Court's Decision in Medha Patkar's Defamation Case

In a notable legal development, the Supreme Court has refused to interfere with the decision made by the Delhi High Court regarding social activist Medha Patkar's defamation case against the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena. Patkar sought the examination of an additional witness, but her plea was originally dismissed by a Magistrate's court.

A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma dismissed the plea after Patkar's counsel opted to withdraw it. The Supreme Court noted that the High Court's ruling did not warrant interference, affirming the procedural decision of the Magistrate's court.

Patkar's initial plea contended that the High Court wrongly upheld the Magistrate's decision. According to her, it should be mandatory for the Magistrate to consider all evidence supporting her complaint, not just the witnesses listed under the Criminal Procedure Code. The case originated from a defamation claim filed by Patkar against Saxena for an advertisement published in 2000. Advocate Abhimanue Shrestha represented Patkar in this legal matter.

(With inputs from agencies.)