Medha Patkar Withdraws Plea in Defamation Case Against Delhi L-G, SC Permits

Swift Summary

• The Supreme Court on September 8, 2025, declined to entertain Medha Patkar’s plea challenging a Delhi High Court decision in a decades-old defamation case against Delhi Lieutenant-Governor V.K.Saxena.
• A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma suggested putting an end to the issue but reiterated that no further action will be initiated by either party regarding this plea.
• The case stems from a legal dispute dating back to 2000, when Ms. Patkar alleged defamation by Mr. Saxena through advertisements critical of her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA).
• Following this, Mr. Saxena filed two counter-cases in 2001 against Ms. Patkar for her alleged derogatory remarks made via television and a press statement about him.
• Earlier in March, a trial court denied Ms. Patkar’s request to add new witness testimony postulated as delaying tactics; this was upheld by the Delhi High Court on July 29.
• On August 11, the Supreme Court affirmed her conviction but struck down payment of monetary compensation and certain probation conditions imposed by lower courts.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The nearly quarter-century-long litigation between Medha Patkar and V.K.Saxena highlights how protracted legal battles can strain judicial resources while offering limited resolution for both parties involved or clarity on public interest aspects linked with such disputes-especially when noted activists like Ms. Patkar are involved alongside public officials turned litigants like mr. Saxena.

With the Supreme Court refusing any further deliberation over procedural issues relating to additional witnesses, it underscores an imperative towards efficient disposal versus entrenchment deepening-no-reclearances reiteraction-processing