KVIC chief V K Saxena today told a Delhi court that there was a deliberate attempt by Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar to defame him and tarnish his image on a TV programme in 2006.
Patkar and Saxena, the Khadi Village and Industries Commission (KVIC) chairman, have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2000 after she filed a suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the NBA. Saxena was then the head of an Ahmedabad-based NGO, National Council for Civil Liberties.
Saxena, in turn, had filed two cases against her for making derogatory remarks against him on a TV channel and issuing a defamatory press statement against him.
Metropolitan Magistrate Nishant Garg today recorded the statement of Saxena who was deposing as a complainant witness in the defamation case against Patkar.
Saxena told the court that on April 20, 2006, he had participated in a televison programme "Breaking News" on India TV on the activities of Narmada Bachao Andolan.
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During the TV programme, he was shown a video in which Patkar had accused him of getting some civil contracts relating to the Sardar Sarovar project, Saxena said, adding he had outrightly denied the allegations.
He also told the court that during the programme he had said he would file a defamation case against her for defaming him "without an iota of evidence".
"There was a deliberate attempt on the part of the accused to defame me in the programme which had wide national and international coverage. Because of the statement, I was badly defamed and my image was tarnished. Many people called me to enquire about the matter. The CD of the entire programme has been placed on record," Saxena told the court.
The CD of the programme, which was of almost 29 minute duration, was played in the court.
When the court asked the advocate Sridevi Panikkar, appearing for Patkar, to cross examine Saxena, she sought adjournment saying she does not have the file and needs time to go through it.
Before Panikkar, advocate V K Ohri was appearing for Patkar, who was discharged from the case today.
The matter was posted for hearing on November 29.
The court had earlier imposed a cost of Rs 7,000 on Patkar for seeking adjournment for cross-examining a witness in the defamation case. On July 9, it had framed defamation charges against Patkar in the case lodged by Saxena.
The court had framed the notice against the activist under sections 499/500 (defamation) of the IPC and fixed the matter for recording of Saxena's evidence. It entails a punishment of up to two years.
The court has separated the three defamation cases -- one filed by Patkar and two by Saxena, considering that these were pending since long and needed to be expedited.
The activist, in her complaint, has alleged that she was defamed by an advertisement published by Saxena in November 2000 and the imputations made in the publication affected her reputation and fame and caused her immense harm.
The court had on April 9 begun the cross-examination of Patkar in this case during which she had denied having deliberately concealed facts to tarnish Saxena's image.
Both Patkar and Saxena had earlier refused the suggestion of the court to settle the matter through mediation.
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