Saket Gokhale Publicly Apologises To Ex-Diplomat Lakshmi Puri Over Defamatory Posts
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Saket Gokhale clarified that his tweets contained wrong and unverified allegations against the former diplomat.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale on Tuesday issued an unconditional apology to former ambassador Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri over defamatory posts posted in 2021 regarding the latter's purchase of property abroad.
He clarified that his tweets contained wrong and unverified allegations against the former diplomat.
'I unconditionally apologise for having put-out a series of tweets against Amb. Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri on 13th and 23rd June 2021, which tweets contained wrong and unverified allegations in relation to the purchase of property by Amb. Puri abroad, which I sincerely regret," the Rajya Sabha MP said in the apology note which was published in newspaper and shared on his X handle.
pic.twitter.com/d6X2YMEVfa — Saket Gokhale MP (@SaketGokhale) June 9, 2025
This apology came in compliance with the Delhi High Court's order, which had directed Gokhale to publicly apologise and pay Rs 50 lakh in damages to Ms. Puri for the defamatory statements.
In a show cause notice issued to the lawmaker, the high court directed him to explain why he should not face civil imprisonment for failing to apologise to the former diplomat
The court had earlier restrained him from making further comments against the former Indian diplomat, who is also the wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The apology was finally published days after the high court warned Gokhale of civil detention for willful non-compliance of its earlier orders. The court had on May 28 observed that Gokhale had failed to publish an apology within the timelines set out in its July 1, 2024 judgment—and even ignored the extended deadline granted in contempt proceedings on May 9, 2025.
On April 24, 2025, the High Court had ordered the attachment of Gokhale's salary, amounting to Rs 1,90,000 per month, until the full decretal sum of Rs 50 lakh was realised.
Puri had 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.
Gokhale had in the series of post questioned how Ms. Puri could have bought a house for 1.6 million Swiss Franc in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2006 with her then income.
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.
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