New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS): A Delhi court Wednesday asked Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar and the chief of an Ahmedabad-based NGO to inform it by March 25 about the possibilities of settlement in three defamation cases filed against each other.

Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Wason was hearing three separate defamation cases lodged by Patkar and National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) president V.K. Saxena against each other.

Patkar had filed a case against Saxena for publishing a book "True Face of Medha Patkar and her NBA" in 2000. Saxena, in return, filed two cases against Patkar.

Patkar said that if Saxena was willing, she was ready to settle for a compromise.

Saxena's counsel told the court that if Patkar withdrew the matter as she filed it first, then he will also do the same.

"It is submitted by the counsel that there are chances of compromise with the parties. Put up for compromise if any ... on March 25," the court said.

The court had earlier framed charges under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code against both Patkar and Saxena.