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The defamation case stemmed from allegations made by Gokhale in 2021 regarding Puri’s financial dealings, particularly in relation to her ownership of an apartment in Geneva. Puri had approached the Delhi High Court, asserting that Gokhale’s public remarks had damaged her reputation and goodwill.
The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, passed an order attaching the salary of Trinamool Congress leader (TMC) and Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale. The court was hearing an execution petition filed by the former Indian Foreign Service officer, Lakshmi Puri, seeking execution of a decree passed by the High Court in July 2024.
The single judge bench had awarded Rs. 50 lakhs in damages to Puri. However, Gokhale failed to comply with the decree and failed to submit the fine or issue a public apology.
The bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora directed the salary attachment after noting that the deadline to comply with the decree had expired on August 27, 2024.
In April 2025, Puri had rejected a proposal from Gokhale to settle the ongoing defamation suit amicably. Earlier, while granting relief to Puri, the court had also restrained Gokhale from making further statements on social media or electronic platforms regarding his allegations against her.
The court compared the influence of social media posts to an uncontrollable nuclear reaction, observing that the “pernicious and anarchic nature” of platforms like Twitter enables the rapid and widespread dissemination of content, including misinformation. As a result, the offending posts were likely to continue circulating extensively.
For Decree Holder: Senior Advocate Maninder Singh with Advocates Meghna Mishra, Palak Sharma and Shreyansh RathiFor Judgement Debtor: Advocate VarunCase Title: LAKSHMI MURDESHWAR PURI v SAKET GOKHALE
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