Delhi court issues non-bailable warrant against Medha Patkar for flouting order

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant against Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar and said she “deliberately” flouted its order to submit probation bonds and deposit Rs 1 lakh fine in a defamation case of Delhi L-G V K Saxena.

Observing her plea for adjournment was “frivolous and mischievous” and filed with the intent to “hoodwink” it, the court cautioned Patkar against her action saying it could make it “reconsider the benevolent sentence”.

Additional sessions judge Vishal Singh said, “Instead of appearing before the court to comply with the order on sentence dated April 8, the convict (Patkar) is absent and has deliberately failed to comply with the order on sentence and to avail of the benefit of probation subject to furnishing of the compensation amount.”

The court went on, “The intention of the convict is apparent that she is deliberately violating the court order; she is avoiding appearing before the court and also avoiding accepting the terms of the sentence passed against her. There is no order of suspension of sentence passed by this court on April 8.”

Given the scenario, the court said, it was left with no other option but to enforce “her production through a coercive order”.

“Issue non bailable warrants (NBWs) against convict Medha Patkar, through the office of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police, for the next date. Put up for report on NBWs and further proceedings on May 3,” the court directed.

The court rejected Patkar’s plea for adjournment, terming it frivolous and an attempt to mislead, as the Delhi High Court had not stayed the April 8 sentencing order. Patkar, granted reprieve from a five-month jail term, was directed to deposit Rs 1 lakh as compensation to Saxena and furnish a probation bond of Rs 25,000 with a surety.

She was required to appear in court on Wednesday for bond submission and payment of the fine.