TMC MP Saket Gokhale Issues Apology to Laxmi Puri Over Defamation Case

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 10th June: Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale has issued an unconditional apology to former diplomat Laxmi Puri, wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, following a directive by the Delhi High Court in a defamation case. The apology pertains to tweets posted by Gokhale in June 2021, in which he accused Ms Puri of purchasing property abroad without presenting any evidence.

The Delhi High Court had earlier directed Gokhale to pay Rs 50 lakh in damages to Laxmi Puri and to publish a public apology. The court also restrained him from making any further defamatory statements, warning that failure to comply could result in civil detention.

After delays in implementing the July 2024 order, Gokhale submitted the apology only after being warned during a recent hearing. The court noted his non-compliance despite being granted time until May 2025. A contempt petition filed by Ms Puri over this delay remains pending before another bench.

Senior advocate Amit Sibal, representing Gokhale, argued during the proceedings that the tweets in question constituted democratic criticism and did not explicitly name Ms Puri or allege corruption. However, the court had earlier dismissed Gokhale’s review petition seeking relief from the compensation and apology directives. His plea to avoid the monetary penalty citing financial hardship had also been rejected by Ms Puri.

In a recent setback for the MP, the Delhi High Court ordered the attachment of his salary to recover the compensation amount. The court observed that Gokhale had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for not depositing the decretal amount and issued warrants of attachment under Section 60(1) of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC). It directed that up to two-thirds of his monthly salary of Rs 1.9 lakh may be attached until the full Rs 50 lakh is recovered.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Ms Puri, informed the court of the decree requiring Gokhale to comply by August 27, 2024. He further stated that an application would be filed under Order 21 Rule 41(3) of the CPC, which allows for civil imprisonment up to three months if the judgment debtor fails to file an affidavit as directed by the court.

The legal battle stems from a defamatory social media post, but has since escalated into a serious enforcement proceeding, placing the sitting MP under continued judicial scrutiny.