TMC's Gokhale directed to pay ₹50 lakh in defamation case
The Delhi High Court has ordered Saket Gokhale, a Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, to pay ₹50 lakh in damages in a defamation case. The case was filed by former diplomat Lakshmi Puri over tweets made by Gokhale in June 2021. The court also instructed Gokhale to issue a public apology on social media, which must remain visible for at least six months.
Gokhale accused of making false allegations
The defamation case originates from Gokhale's tweets on June 13 and June 26, 2021, in which he alleged that Puri had bought property in Switzerland disproportionate to her income. Puri filed a lawsuit through the legal firm Karanjawala and Company in 2021, accusing Gokhale of making false and factually incorrect statements that were defamatory, slanderous, and libellous against her and her family. She refuted his claims about her income as baseless.
Puri's counsel argues tweets were defamatory
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Puri, argued that the tweets posted by Gokhale were defamatory, malicious, and based on false information. Singh emphasized that Puri did not hold any public office at the time of the allegations and her private transactions should not have been subjected to public scrutiny without her consent. He criticized Gokhale for not verifying the facts before making public allegations.
Gokhale's counsel defends right to question public figures
Gokhale's counsel, Advocate Sarim Naved, contended that as a citizen, Gokhale had the right to question the assets of public figures. Naved argued that the involvement of public money justified Gokhale's scrutiny of the transactions. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani issued the order and instructed Gokhale to publish an apology in The Times of India and on his social media handle within eight weeks.
