New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale has publicly issued an unconditional apology to former diplomat Lakshmi Puri, wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, following a Delhi High Court order in a defamation case.
The apology, shared by Gokhale on X (formerly Twitter) on June 10, comes amid growing legal pressure after he failed to comply with the court’s July 2024 order to both apologise and pay Rs 50 lakh in damages.
Gokhale had made a series of posts on June 13 and June 23, 2021, alleging without proof that Ms Puri had purchased foreign property using undisclosed funds. The court deemed the remarks defamatory and directed Gokhale to make amends. “I apologise unconditionally,” he wrote, acknowledging that the allegations were made without evidence.
Have a look at his official statement here:
The Delhi High Court had earlier warned Gokhale of civil detention if he failed to comply, barring him from issuing any further defamatory statements. Despite Gokhale’s claim that his posts were part of “justified and democratic criticism,” the court ruled otherwise. In the last hearing, his counsel, senior advocate Amit Sibal, argued that Gokhale had not directly named Puri or accused her of corruption. However, the single bench did not accept this defence.
Court Orders Confiscation of Gokhale's Salary
After Gokhale missed the compliance deadline set for May 2025, Puri filed a contempt petition, still pending before another bench. As a result of non-payment, the court recently ordered confiscation of Gokhale’s MP salary, amounting to Rs 1.9 lakh per month. The court invoked Section 60 of the Civil Procedure Code, stating up to two-thirds of his earnings could be attached until the full Rs 50 lakh is deposited.
Rejecting Gokhale’s earlier review petition and his plea for exemption due to financial hardship, the court noted no "proper explanation" had been provided. Puri’s legal team has indicated plans to seek enforcement through Order 21 Rule 41(3), which could lead to a three-month jail sentence if the decree is not honoured.
