India News | Delhi HC Refuses to Recall Order Directing TMC MP to Pay Rs 50 Lakh Damages to Ex-diplomat
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to recall its order directing TMC MP Saket Gokhale to apologise and pay damages of Rs 50 lakh to former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri for defamation.
New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to recall its order directing TMC MP Saket Gokhale to apologise and pay damages of Rs 50 lakh to former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri for defamation.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav also junked Gokhale's plea to condone a delay of over 180 days in seeking the relief.
"We can't help you. We have to reject both the applications," the judge said.
Justice Kaurav said no explanation was offered for the delay in approaching the court.
Seeking to recall the July 1, 2024 verdict, Gokhale's counsel argued he did not have the funds to pay the former assistant secretary general of the United Nations, the wife of BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri.
He claimed Gokhale was earlier represented by an advocate who subsequently stopped appearing and as a result failed to receive any electronic communication about the proceedings.
Rejecting the contention, Justice Kaurav said Gokhale's counsel entered appearance in the case aside from filing the written submissions and it was, therefore, not incumbent on the court to later issue any notice to him.
The court also said the TMC leader became aware of the July 1, 2014 judgement but took no action until the plaintiff sought execution of the decree.
In the execution proceedings, the high court on April 24 attached a portion of the salary being received by Gokhale until he deposited Rs 50 lakh with the court.
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.
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.
The "roving allegations" insinuating financial impropriety were "actually targeting" the BJP leader and it was "extremely irresponsible" of Gokhale to have published the "derogatory content" without due verification, the court observed.
The court said the damages of Rs 50 lakh would 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 was represented by senior advocate Maninder Singh and law firm Karanjawala & Co.
Meghna Mishra, senior partner, Karanjawala & Co said they were extremely pleased with the dismissal of the applications by Gokhale by the bench which swiftly heard the matter and decided the same.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)