Court Nudges TMC's Gokhale on Defamation Distribution: Final Reply Chance Given

The Delhi High Court has given TMC's Saket Gokhale a final two-week window to respond to ex-diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri's contempt plea. Accused of defaming Puri with baseless claims about her finances, Gokhale risks court appearance if he doesn't respond. A demand of Rs 5 crore damages has been made.

The Delhi High Court on Friday extended one last opportunity to TMC leader Saket Gokhale for answering a contempt plea filed by former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri.

Justice Dharmesh Sharma provided Gokhale with two additional weeks to file his reply, with the next hearing set for April 18. The court warned that if Gokhale does not respond, he might need to appear in court.

Puri's 2021 petition alleged Gokhale of defaming her via reckless allegations about her finances linked to a Geneva apartment. Gokhale's advisor argued for retracting a July 2024 order against him. Puri's plea insists Gokhale violated court mandates, demanding apologies, damages, and content removals.

(With inputs from agencies.)