Delhi HC Rejects TMC's Saket Gokhale’s Apology For Failing To Comply With Court Directive

The high court had directed the TMC MP to publicly apologise on his X handle and in a leading English daily within two weeks in its May 9 order.

File photo of TMC leader Saket Gokhale.

Source : PTI

The Delhi High Court on Thursday rejected TMC leader Saket Gokhale’s apology submitted in a sealed cover over the delay in complying with the court directive. The high court had directed the TMC MP to publicly apologise on his X handle and in a leading English daily within two weeks in its May 9 order.

 

Justice Anish Dayal, in an order on May 9, directed the TMC MP to publish an apology on his X handle, from where he posted contentious tweets, aside from a prominent english daily within two weeks.

 

The court made the remark while hearing Puri's contempt plea against Gokhale for defying its July 1 2024 judgment restraining him from publishing any more content on social media or electronic platforms and directing him to apologise to her and pay Rs 50 lakh damages.

 

"In the opinion of this court, there is no reason why the court should take the apology in a sealed cover and then wait for the result of an appeal against the dismissal of Order IX Rule 13 CPC application, as and when the appeal is filed and adjudicated," the court said.

 

The high court added, "Considering that the decree was passed in July 2024, no challenge was preferred in the statutory period, the challenge which was finally preferred was dismissed with a detailed judgment, and the respondent has simply tarried, lingered and procrastinated, but still not complied with the judgment/ decree."

 

Gokhale, the court observed, was a parliamentarian and a reputed member of the society, and more than 10 months had passed but till date there was no order secured from the court impeding the compliance of the July 2024 judgment.

 

Former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri had moved 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.

 

On July 1, 2024, the high court restrained the TMC MP from publishing any more content on social media or electronic platforms. It said damages of Rs 50 lakh should be paid to Puri within eight weeks aside from his apology that would be retained on Gokhale's X handle for six months from the date of publishing.

 

The order was passed on the defamation lawsuit filed by the former assistant secretary general of the United Nations. Gokhale thereafter filed an application seeking recall of the judgment but the coordinate bench of the high court on May 2 refused to recall the verdict and also junked his plea to condone a delay of over 180 days in seeking the relief.

 

While dealing with a plea seeking execution of the July 2024 judgment, the court said Gokhale, who was directed to not only apologise to Puri but also pay damages, did not give any reasonable explanation for not depositing the amount.

 

Puri, in her contempt plea, said Gokhale wilfully and deliberately non-complied with the high court's July 1, 2024 directions and was liable to be punished and accused him of playing with the court and defying judicial orders. Puri sought Rs 5 crore in damages from Gokhale, to be deposited in the PMCARES fund. She also sought the tweets to be taken down.