Delhi High Court Orders TMC MP Saket Gokhale to Pay Rs 50 Lakhs in Defamation Suit, Apologise to Lakshmi Puri

The Delhi High Court on Monday, July 1, asked All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale to pay Rs 50 lakh damages to Lakshmi Puri, wife of Union Minister Hardeep Puri, in her defamation suit against him. 

This decision comes in response to a defamation suit filed by Lakshmi Puri against Gokhale for allegedly making defamatory statements on social media.

#BREAKING

Delhi High Court asks All India Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale to pay Rs. 50 lakhs damages to Lakshmi Puri in her defamation suit against him.

Court also asks Gokhale to put an apology in Times of India and on his Twitter handle. #Defamation@SaketGokhalepic.twitter.com/7YZs3Je9aF

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) July 1, 2024

The High Court also asked Gokhale to put an apology in the newspaper and his official X (formerly known as Twitter) handle. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani said that the order must be complied in eight weeks. The Court said the apology on Gokhale’s Twitter handle must stay for at least six months.

Gokhale in his tweets had referred to a property purchased by Puri in Switzerland and raised questions regarding her and her husband, Union Minister Hardeep Puri's assets. He had also tagged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman in the tweets and sought an ED inquiry.