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Attach part of TMC MP Saket Gokhale’s salary till he pays Rs 50 lakh as damages: Delhi HC in defamation case

Last year, TMC MP Saket Gokhale had been directed to pay damages to former diplomat Lakshmi Puri over his social media posts on her financial affairs and an apartment in Geneva.

Delhi HC on Gokhale-Puri defamation caseOn July 1, 2024, the high court had directed Gokhale to apologise to Puri over his social media posts on Puri’s financial affairs and an apartment in Geneva. (File)

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed that a portion of Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale’s monthly salary be attached until he deposits Rs 50 lakh with the court in relation to a defamation suit where he was directed to pay the amount as damages to former diplomat Lakshmi Puri.

On July 1, 2024, the high court had directed Gokhale to apologise to Puri over his social media posts on Puri’s financial affairs and an apartment in Geneva and pay Rs 50 lakh as damages. Gokhale was directed that the apology be posted on his X handle, which should be retained for “six months from the date it is put out”, as well as publish it in a leading English daily in four weeks.

In a separate plea, Gokhale has sought a recall of the July 2024 order.

On Thursday, Gokhale’s counsel informed Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora that he is not inclined to publish an apology as it would then make his plea for recall of the July 2024 order infructuous.

Justice Arora, however, recorded that there is “no reasonable explanation” for Gokhale “not depositing the decretal amount”.

Accordingly, the court directed that a warrant be issued for attachment of salary, which Gokhale has declared as Rs 1.90 lakh per month, under the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure that deal with the attachment of a portion of the salary of government servants. The court went on to direct that the salary shall remain attached until Gokhale deposits Rs 50 lakh with the court.

In July 2021, the high court had passed an interim order, restraining Gokhale from posting any defamatory, scandalous or factually incorrect tweets against Puri or her husband, former diplomat and union minister for petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri.

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In her lawsuit, Puri had claimed that Gokhale, who posted certain tweets about her, had “tarnished her good name and reputation by making reckless and false allegations” in relation to her financial affairs in the “context of an apartment that she owns in Geneva, Switzerland”.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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