Delhi court issues non-bailable warrant against Medha Patkar

A Delhi court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant against social activist Medha Patkar upon her failure to fulfil the conditions — deposit a bond of ₹25,000 and compensation of ₹1 lakh — of her release on probation after being convicted in a defamation case filed by Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena. She was sentenced to five months of imprisonment in May 2024 and penalised.

Additional sessions judge Vishal Singh of the Saket district court passed the order and rejected an application by Patkar seeking postponement of the execution of the order issued on April 8, which directed that the conditions be fulfilled by April 23.

Terming Patkar’s application “mischievous and frivolous” and calculated to “hoodwink” the court, judge Singh said that instead of appearing in court to comply with the order on sentence, the convict was absent and deliberately failed to comply with the order.