New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) A Delhi court Thursday imposed fine of Rs.5,000 on Narmada Bachao Aandolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar for failing to appear before it and seeking exemption from personal appearance, in cases of defamation filed by her and an Ahmedabad resident against each other.

Metropolitan Magistrate Munish Markan imposed a fine of Rs.5,000 on Patkar in a case lodged by her against V.K Saxena, president of Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council For Civil Liberties.

"Impose a cost of Rs.200 on the NBA leader in another defamation case filed against her by Saxena," said the court.

The court observation came after Patkar's counsel sought exemption for her personal appearance, saying she was unable to appear before the court as she missed her flight from Indore.

The court also noted that this was not the first time she was seeking exemption.

O.P. Malaviya, counsel for Saxena, strongly opposed the plea of Patkar saying that it was not supported by any document.

"The cost of Rs. 1,000 in each two cases were imposed on her for the same reason earlier," said Malaviya, adding that Patkar has not been attending the court proceedings regularly.

The case, filed by Saxena was transferred from Ahmedabad to New Delhi by the Supreme Court on the plea of Patkar, who said that she feared for her life in Gujarat.

Patkar had filed a criminal defamation case in Delhi against Saxena in 2000 for allegedly publishing advertisements against her and the activities of NBA.

The court posted the matter for May 6.