Delhi High Court Upholds Defamation Ruling Against MP Saket Gokhale

Court Decision on Defamation Case

On Friday, the Delhi High Court reaffirmed its July 2024 ruling that mandates Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale to pay Rs 50 lakh in damages for defamation, a case initiated by former diplomat Lakshmi Puri.

The court also dismissed Gokhale's request to excuse a delay exceeding 180 days in seeking relief from the ruling. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav remarked, “You presented your case well, but we cannot assist you,” as reported.

In its earlier ruling, the High Court determined that Gokhale had made “incorrect, false and untrue” statements about Puri, including allegations of her acquiring property in Switzerland through disproportionate means.

Puri accused Gokhale of making defamatory and malicious claims on social media, which were based on falsehoods.

The court had instructed Gokhale to issue an apology in a prominent English newspaper and on his social media account, alongside the payment of Rs 50 lakh in damages.

Following this, Gokhale sought to have the July 2024 ruling overturned, claiming it was made without his presence after his legal representation ceased to appear.

Additionally, Puri approached the High Court to ensure the enforcement of the ruling and filed a contempt case against Gokhale for failing to comply.

On April 24, the court ordered that Gokhale's monthly salary of Rs 1.9 lakh be withheld until he complied with the order to pay the damages.

Puri, who previously served as an assistant secretary-general at the United Nations and is married to Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, initiated the defamation lawsuit in 2021, asserting that Gokhale's “reckless and false allegations” regarding a Geneva apartment had damaged her reputation.

In July 2021, the High Court had issued a temporary injunction preventing Gokhale from disseminating defamatory content about Puri or her spouse.