The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Saket Gokhale following a contempt petition filed by former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, seeking enforcement of a previous court order that Gokhale apologize and pay Rs 50 lakh in damages for defamation. Lakshmi Puri, wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, claims that Gokhale has deliberately failed to comply with the court’s directives.
In a related legal development, a separate bench directed Gokhale to disclose all his assets through an affidavit within four weeks. The order pertains to a plea by Puri for the execution of the defamation lawsuit’s July 1 judgment. Justice Manoj Jain, presiding over the contempt petition, has requested Gokhale’s response on the matter.
According to Puri’s legal team, Gokhale was fully aware of the July 1 judgment against him as evidenced by posts he made on social media platform ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, following the ruling. These posts allegedly contained further defamatory statements not only against Puri but also against the judiciary.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Puri, argued that Gokhale’s failure to fulfill the court’s specific orders, including the payment of Rs 50 lakh, constituted non-compliance. He highlighted that Gokhale’s continued defamatory assertions on social media platforms underscored this disobedience.
The defamation suit originated from Gokhale’s comments about an apartment owned by Puri in Geneva, which he linked to alleged financial misconduct. In July, the court had found Gokhale’s accusations to be unfounded and “extremely irresponsible,” leading to the order for monetary damages and a public apology, which was to remain posted on Gokhale’s social media for six months.
