Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court has refused to accept Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale’s apology in a sealed cover in a contempt plea filed by former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, noting that he had delayed compliance with its earlier order directing him to apologise publicly and pay Rs 50 lakh in damages.In its May 9 order, Justice Anish Dayal directed Gokhale to issue a public apology within two weeks — both on his X (formerly Twitter) account and in a prominent English daily — as originally decreed in July 2024. The court said it would not wait for the outcome of a potential appeal, remarking that the MP had “tarried, lingered and procrastinated” in complying with the court’s verdict.“There is no reason why the court should take the apology in a sealed cover and then wait for the result of an appeal… the respondent has simply tarried, lingered and procrastinated,” the court noted.The court pointed out that despite more than 10 months having passed since the judgment, Gokhale had not secured any order staying the implementation of the verdict. It also highlighted that the statutory time to challenge the July 2024 ruling had lapsed, and his later plea seeking a recall was dismissed on May 2 with a detailed order.“The apology as directed by the judgment/decree shall be published within the next two weeks, in the manner decreed,” the court ordered, adding that Gokhale was a parliamentarian and a public figure who was expected to abide by judicial orders.The matter stems from a defamation suit filed in 2021 by Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, a former Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations and wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. She accused Gokhale of posting defamatory and unverified allegations about her financial dealings concerning a property she owns in Geneva.On July 1, 2024, the Delhi High Court had restrained Gokhale from making further such posts, ordered him to publish a formal apology, and directed him to pay Rs 50 lakh in damages — to be deposited within eight weeks. The apology was to remain pinned on his X account for six months.Gokhale later moved the court to recall the judgment and condone a delay of over 180 days in filing the appeal. Both requests were dismissed. On April 24 this year, a coordinate bench of the high court ordered attachment of a portion of Gokhale’s MP salary to enforce the damages.In her contempt plea, Puri alleged that Gokhale had wilfully and deliberately defied the court’s directions. Her counsel also pointed out that Gokhale continued to post defamatory remarks on social media, targeting not just her but also the court.The court had earlier observed that Gokhale’s “roving allegations” were “extremely irresponsible” and appeared to target BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri without any verification.The court said it would consider the question of wilful disobedience in detail after hearing both sides further.Puri, who initially sought Rs 5 crore in damages (to be donated to the PMCARES fund), had also asked for the removal of Gokhale’s defamatory tweets.
Mayank Rawat
