High Court Threatens TMC MP with Civil Detention in Defamation Case

The Delhi High Court issued a stern warning to TMC MP Saket Gokhale on Wednesday, threatening him with civil detention for his deliberate non-compliance with court orders. These orders demanded that Gokhale apologize to former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri in connection with a defamation case.

Justice Manmeet PS Arora criticized Gokhale for seemingly mocking the court's process, stating, 'If you don't publish an apology, we will put you into civil detention.' The comments came after the court was informed that the timeline for compliance had expired, and no action had been taken by Gokhale.

The High Court had earlier restrained Gokhale from posting defamatory content online against Puri, imposing a Rs 50 lakh damages penalty, which remains unpaid. As a result, a contempt petition was filed by Puri, and a compliance report regarding Gokhale's attached salary is awaited as the case progresses.

(With inputs from agencies.)