Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Wason has asked Patkar and VK Saxena, president of the NGO, National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), to settle their differences and withdraw the defamation cases. Wason is hearing three separate cases lodged by Patkar and Saxena against each other.
"It is submitted by the counsel that there are chances of compromise with the parties. Put up for compromise if any... on March 25," the court said, allowing Saxena's plea for exemption for the day after his flight was cancelled due to bad weather.
"A fine was imposed on me when I was on an indefinite hunger strike for some good cause," Patkar told the court, adding that the fine slapped on her had been a huge sum for her to pay.
The court, however, said that it would not be fair to do so and suggested that they instead settle their cases and withdraw them. To which Patkar said that if Saxena was willing, she was ready to settle for a compromise.
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But Saxena's counsels pointed out that since Patkar had first filed the case against their client, if she withdrew and settled the matter, he would do so too.
However, the judge said, "Whether you do first or her. No one will become small, if they withdrew the case first."
Meanwhile, Patkar told the judge that Saxena wanted her to withdraw cases against him lodged in Ahmedabad, which she said she cannot do.
The judge said, "I am only concerned with my cases".