New Delhi, Dec 23 The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice to Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale over his failure to pay Rs 50 lakh damages to former diplomat Lakshmi Puri, wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
A bench of Justice Manoj Jain was hearing a contempt plea filed by Lakshmi Puri against Saket Gokhale for the latter’s “wilful and deliberate non-compliance” of the Delhi HC judgment.
Issuing notice, Justice Jain-led Bench ordered Saket Gokhale to file an affidavit disclosing all his assets, properties, and bank accounts and deposits within the next four weeks.
The matter will be heard next on February 5 next year.
In its July 1 decision, the Delhi High Court had ordered the Trinamool Congress leader to pay Rs 50 lakh damages in a defamation case filed by former diplomat Lakshmi Puri.
It had also directed Saket Gokhale to publish an apology in a newspaper and on his social media platform “X” handle within four weeks for publishing wrong and unverified allegations.
Further, the Delhi HC had directed that the apology tweet published on Saket Gokhale’s X account should be retained for six months.
In the latest plea, Lakshmi Puri contended that Saket Gokhale should be punished for his non-compliance and willful disobedience of the court’s decision.
The contempt plea added that Saket Gokhale was completely aware of the July 1 judgment passed against him, and he had also published related tweets on his social media handle.
The defamation suit was filed following Saket Gokhale’s successive X posts accusing Lakshmi Puri of purchasing property in Switzerland disproportionate to her income. He also named Hardeep Puri in the tweets.
The Delhi High Court had held that the plaintiff suffered irreparable harm on account of Saket Gokhale's defamatory statements.
It said: “The defendant (Gokhale) is restrained from publishing further defamatory content against the plaintiff. Damages to the tune of Rs 50,00,000 are awarded to the plaintiff for the harm caused to her reputation.”
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