Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar has been fined by a Delhi court in a defamation case. (File)
A Delhi court today imposed Rs 10,000 as costs on Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar for her repeated failure to appear before it in defamation cases filed by her and KVIC Chairman VK Saxena against each other.
Metropolitan Magistrate Vikrant Vaid granted one last opportunity to the activist while warning that he will dismiss her complaint against Mr Saxena if she again fails to appear.
The court had on June 26 warned Ms Patkar to be "careful in future" and had cancelled the non-bailable warrant issued against her on May 29 for her non-appearance.
The court had in January 2015 also imposed costs of Rs 3,000 on Ms Patkar for non-appearance before it, giving her the "last and final opportunity" to appear before it.
VK Saxena, President of Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), and Ms Patkar have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2000 after she filed a suit against him for publishing advertisements against her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan.