Delhi HC seeks Lakshmi Puri's reply on TMC MP Saket Gokhale's plea

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri to respond to the plea of TMC leader Saket Gokhale over an order directing him to apologise and pay Rs 50 lakh damages to her following a defamation lawsuit.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued notice to Puri, a former assistant secretary general of the United Nations, on the pleas for condonation of delay and said the court would consider the issues of recall and stay if Gokhale was able to satisfy the court on the delay in moving court.

Gokhale sought a recall of the July 1, 2024 decision along with condonation of a delay of over 180 days in seeking the relief.

In the July 1, 2024 verdict, aside from directing publication of an apology and payment of Rs 50 lakh as damages, the high court restrained Gokhale from publishing any more content on any social media or electronic platform concerning his imputation against Puri.

His counsel on Thursday said the decision was passed ex-parte against him, after his lawyer stopped appearing.

The court, during the hearing, told the TMC MP that ''lawyer not appearing was your responsibility'' and it was ''not like he was not aware'' of the proceedings.

The court, however, suggested them to resolve the dispute.

''I request both of you, if possible, try to resolve it, else come back.. Apology alone will not do so good unless you don't come forward with a symbolic (compensation),'' it said.

Puri's counsel opposed the applications and said the decision was given after Gokhale was put to due notice.

Her pleas for contempt action and execution of the decision are pending before other benches.

The ''roving allegations'' insinuating financial impropriety were ''actually targeting'' Puri's husband BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri and it was ''extremely irresponsible'' of Gokhale to have published the ''derogatory content'' without due verification, the court observed in July, 2024.

Puri approached the high court in 2021, alleging Gokhale tarnished her goodwill and reputation by making reckless and false allegations about her financial affairs in the context of an apartment that she owned in Geneva.

The court had said the damages of Rs 50 lakh be paid to Puri within eight weeks and the apology should be retained on Gokhale's 'X' handle for six months from the date it is published.

Puri had sought Rs 5 crore damages from Gokhale, to be deposited in the PM CARES Fund. She had also sought directions for the tweets to be taken down.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)