The Delhi High Court has ordered the attachment of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale’s salary after he failed to comply with a court order awarding ₹50 lakh in damages to former Indian Foreign Service officer Lakshmi Puri in a defamation case.

The directive came on Thursday during the hearing of an execution petition filed by Puri, following the court's July 2024 decree. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora noted that Gokhale had neither paid the amount nor issued a public apology, despite the compliance deadline of August 27, 2024, having long passed.

In April 2025, Puri had declined a proposal from Gokhale to settle the matter amicably. The court had earlier restrained Gokhale from making further statements on social media or electronic platforms concerning the allegations against Puri.

Notably, the court likened the impact of social media posts to a nuclear chain reaction, citing their “pernicious and anarchic nature” that allows rapid and unchecked spread of misinformation. It emphasized that Gokhale’s defamatory content was likely to continue circulating widely due to the nature of platforms like Twitter.

Legal Representation:

• For Lakshmi Puri: Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, along with Advocates Meghna Mishra, Palak Sharma, and Shreyansh Rathi

• For Saket Gokhale: Advocate Varun

Case Title: Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri v. Saket Gokhale