New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) TMC MP Saket Gokhale on Wednesday expressed before the Delhi High Court his willingness to settle issues with former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, to whom he was asked to apologise and pay Rs 50 lakh damages in a defamation lawsuit.

However, Puri, a former assistant secretary general of the UN, refused the settlement offer with her counsel contending that Gokhale had abused her without any basis.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav after hearing the submissions of the lawyers for Puri and Gokhale reserved the order on Gokhale’s plea seeking recall of the July 1, 2024 decision along with application for condonation of a delay of over 180 days in seeking the relief.

On July 1, 2024, the high court had directed Gokhale to apologise and pay Rs 50 lakh damages to Puri following the defamation lawsuit.

Gokhale’s counsel urged that a liberal approach may be taken by the court if the plaintiff has suffered, it could be compensated with imposition of costs on the defendant.

He prayed that the order of Rs 50 lakh costs be recalled as his client has shortage of funds.

“He does not have the funds today, so if there is a possibility of any settlement without payment of any amount, my client would be keen to avail that offer,” Gokhale’s counsel submitted.

Urging the court to condone the delay of over 180 days in filing the plea seeking recall of the July 1, 2024 decision, Gokhale’s counsel said he was facing multiple cases in Ahmedabad and was required to go there frequently.

Gokhale claimed earlier he was represented by an advocate who later stopped appearing and that he has neither received any electronic communication about the proceedings.

However, the counsel for Puri contended that Gokhale was very much aware of the court’s July order and he was continuously watching the proceedings through virtual mode.

“You abused me without any basis. On the first date of hearing, he was represented through counsel. When the defendant engaged a counsel and filed a written statement, there is no legal requirement to re-service summons,” the lawyer contended.

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.

Her pleas for contempt action and execution of the decision are pending before other benches.

The “roving allegations” insinuating financial impropriety were “actually targeting” Puri’s husband, BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri, and it was “extremely irresponsible” of Gokhale to have published the “derogatory content” without due verification, the court observed in July, 2024.

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.

The court had said the damages of Rs 50 lakh 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 had sought Rs 5 crore damages from Gokhale, to be deposited in the PM CARES Fund. She had also sought directions for the tweets to be taken down. PTI SKV ZMN