L-G seeks dismissal of Patkar’s appeal, says she filed ‘false affidavit’

New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Wednesday told a Delhi court that Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar filed a “false” and “ante-dated” affidavit, and sought dismissal of her appeal against the conviction in a defamation case.

Saxena, in his reply to Patkar’s appeal, said, “Such manner of filing of an appeal i.e., without signatures of the accused or appellant (Patkar) and supported with the ante-dated false affidavit is not only an act of contempt of this court and perjury rather it is a smart strategy on the part of the appellant to disown any or entire facts and records as per her convenience.”

The reply alleged that it had been Patkar’s “past practice to mislead the courts” and that she tried to shift the burden on her advocates after being caught, by pleading “ignorance and inadvertent errors”.

Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh had on July 29 suspended Patkar’s sentence in the defamation case filed by Saxena 23 years ago when he headed an NGO in Gujarat and sought his reply.

On July 1, a magisterial court had sentenced Patkar to five months of simple imprisonment, besides imposing a fine of Rs 10 lakh.

On Wednesday, advocates Gajinder Kumar and Kiran Jai, counsel for Saxena, objected to Patkar’s appeal saying it was not maintainable and was liable to be dismissed as Patkar did not sign it.

Kumar said the appeal dated July 24 carried only the signature of Patkar’s counsel.

Besides, she had filed a “false affidavit” which was “ante-dated” or signed and attested at Madhya Pradesh on July 17, the date on which the appeal did not exist, the advocate said, adding because of these reasons, there was “gross suspicion” about the “veracity and truthfulness” of the appeal’s contents.