Delhi HC orders TMC MP Saket Gokhale to pay Lakshmi Puri Rs 50 lakh

Defamation case: TMC MP Saket Gokhale must post a public apology on his X (formerly Twitter) account, which has to remain posted for six months

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale to pay Rs 50 lakh in damages to former United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Lakshmi Puri, in a defamation suit filed by her. The court also mandated Gokhale to issue a public apology in The Times of India and on his X (formerly Twitter) account, which must remain posted for six months.

Defamation case against Saket Gokhale

The suit stems from a series of defamatory tweets by Gokhale, where he questioned Puri's integrity.

The tweets accused Puri and her husband, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, of purchasing a house in Geneva, Switzerland, using ‘black money’ in 2006. These allegations led Puri to seek legal redress in 2021, claiming the tweets tarnished her reputation and caused irreparable harm.

The lawsuit was filed by Karanjawala & Co on behalf of Lakshmi Puri. Senior Advocate Maninder Singh (former ASG) represented Puri, supported by a team from Karanjawala & Company including Meghna Mishra, Tarun Sharma, Palak Sharma, and Shreyansh Rathi.

Puri’s petition highlighted that Gokhale made the defamatory tweets on June 13 and June 23, 2021, alleging that Puri and her husband, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, used illicit funds to purchase property in Geneva. Puri sought Rs 5 crore in damages for these libellous statements.

Court criticises Gokhale’s absence

Despite initially participating in the case, Gokhale eventually stopped appearing or being represented in court, effectively ignoring the proceedings. This behaviour was noted in the court’s 62-page judgment, which criticised Gokhale’s apparent disregard for the legal process.

In July 2021, the Delhi High Court had already issued an interim order preventing Gokhale from posting further defamatory content about Puri and her husband. Gokhale’s tweets had also called for an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate into the couple’s financial affairs, tagging the Union Finance Minister.

Court ruling

In its judgment, the court stated, “The plaintiff has suffered irreparable harm on account of Defendant No. 1, that is, Saket Gokhale’s defamatory statements and is directed to give an apology to the plaintiff, which shall be published on Defendant No 1’s X account and in The Times of India. Further, the tweet published on the defendant’s X account shall be retained for six months.”

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani, presiding over the case, observed that no monetary award could fully compensate for damage to one's reputation. However, considering all factors, the court ordered Gokhale to pay Rs 50 lakh in damages to Puri within eight weeks. Additionally, Gokhale is restrained from making further defamatory statements against Puri.

(With agency inputs)