Attach TMC MP's salary in defamation case: Delhi HC
on Thursday ordered attachment of TMC Rajya Sabha MP
Saket Gokhale
's monthly salary in connection with a
defamation case
filed by former diplomat
Lakshmi Puri
.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora took a grim view of Gokhale's failure to heed the court's directive last year to apologise to Puri - a former assistant secretary-general of UN - and pay her Rs 50 lakh in damages.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The judge noted that the MP had neither deposited the amount nor offered an explanation. "Accordingly, issue a warrant of attachment as per section 60(i) with respect to the salary of the respondent, which is stated to be Rs 1.9 lakh. The salary shall remain attached until Rs 50 lakh is deposited with the court," HC said.
The latest order was passed on Puri's petition seeking execution of the decree passed last year in her favour.
Gokhale's counsel informed the court that he was not willing to apologise as he had already sought a "recall" of the judgment against him and the matter was pending before another bench.Puri had first moved the HC in 2021, alleging Gokhale tarnished her reputation by making false allegations about her financial affairs in the context of an apartment that she owned in Geneva.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Stop harassment of Bengal workers in your state, CS Pant writes to Odisha
Kolkata: Indicating a growing frustration with Bengali-speaking migrant workers being illegally detained in Odisha as Bangladeshis, Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant on Thursday wrote to his Odisha counterpart, Manoj Ahuja, to put an end to this "continuing harassment faced by people from West Bengal" in the neighbouring state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Samirul Islam, chairman of West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board and Trinamool's RS MP, threatened to move Calcutta High Court on the issue. "Thousands of people from Odisha live and work peacefully in Bengal. Not once has Bengal govt treated them with even a fraction of the hostility that Odisha is showing now," he said. Pant, in his letter, wrote: "We are receiving disturbing reports of such individuals being detained without due legal process in regions around Paradip and across coastal districts such as Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Malkangiri, Balasore and Cuttack. What is even more concerning is that even when these persons produce valid identity documents — including Aadhaar cards, ration cards, voter IDs, electricity bills and PDS documents — their claims are being dismissed. In many instances, they are being asked to produce ancestral land records dating back several generations, an unreasonable and unjustifiable demand for migrant workers." Pant also mentioned how, "alarmingly, there have also been instances where, despite verification reports from competent authorities in West Bengal confirming the identity and citizenship of the individuals, there has been no positive action or relief". "I appeal to you to take a humanitarian view of the matter and ensure that these individuals, who are Indian citizens, are not subjected to arbitrary detention or harassment based on linguistic or regional identity," he wrote. "It is deeply distressing to learn that many of them are being targeted solely because they speak Bengali — their mother tongue — and are being unjustly labelled as Bangladeshi infiltrators. This sweeping generalisation is not only unfair and discriminatory, but also deeply hurtful to citizens who have every right to dignity and protection under the law," Pant added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Islam, who has been vocal on the issue, said: "The Odisha authorities refused to accept any identity document like Aadhaar and EPIC, and demanded verification from Bengal govt. We promptly provided the required details — verified and furnished by none other than DMs and SPs. But even that failed to satisfy them. Next, they asked for the electoral roll where names of these individuals were listed. Once again, the Bengal administration complied and sent the relevant documents. " The MP said: "Our CM Mamata Banerjee believes in diversity and strives to maintain harmony in every sense. So, I sincerely urge the Odisha govt and BJP: do not play with fire. If you ignite the politics of hatred, you may end up being consumed by your own flames."
NDTV
40 minutes ago
- NDTV
After Op Sindoor, Centre Clears Rs 1 Lakh Crore Missile, Weapons Purchases
New Delhi: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Thursday gave the go-ahead for 10 proposals to buy military hardware, including missiles and electronic warfare systems, worth approximately Rs 1.05 lakh crore through indigenous sourcing. The DAC works under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The DAC gave its "Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of Armoured Recovery Vehicles, Electronic Warfare System, Integrated Common Inventory Management System for the Tri-Services and Surface-to-Air Missiles. These procurements will provide higher mobility, effective air defence, better supply chain management, and augment the operational preparedness of the Armed Forces", the Defence Ministry said in a statement. AoNs were also given for procurement of Moored Mines, Mine Counter Measure Vessels, Super Rapid Gun Mount and Submersible Autonomous Vessels. These procurements will enable the mitigation of potential risks posed to the naval and merchant vessels. To provide further impetus to indigenous design and development, AoNs were accorded under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) category, the statement said. India's indigenous defence production has surged to an all-time high of Rs 1.46 lakh crore, with exports increasing to a record Rs 24,000 crore in 2024-25, according to Mr Singh. "Our defence production, which was only Rs 43,000 crore 10 to 11 years ago, has now crossed a record figure of Rs 1,46,000 crore, with the private sector's contribution of over Rs 32,000 crore. Our defence exports, which were around Rs 600-700 crore 10 years ago, have surpassed a record figure of Rs 24,000 crore today," the minister stated in his address at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) annual summit recently. He described the Make In India policy as crucial for security and prosperity, stating that the use of indigenous systems during 'Operation Sindoor' has proved that India has the power to penetrate any armour of the enemy. "Our weapons, systems, sub-systems, components, and services are reaching around 100 countries. Over 16,000 MSMEs, associated with the defence sector, have become the backbone of the supply chain. These companies are not only strengthening our self-reliance journey, but are also providing employment to lakhs of people," the minister said. He said the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme execution model will open an opportunity for the private sector to participate in a mega defence project along with public sector companies for the first time, further bolstering the Make In India drive in the defence industry, he added.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Kerala high court seeks report on pendency of trials due to staff shortage in forensic labs
Kochi: High court on Thursday sought a report from its district judiciary registrar on the pendency of criminal trials in the state due to non-appointment of scientific officers and other staff in forensic science laboratories. The bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice C Jayachandran was considering a petition by Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) which sought a directive to the state govt and Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) to recruit an adequate number of scientific assistants in forensic science laboratories. KeLSA, in its petition, alleged that the vacancies and the failure to appoint scientific assistants in FSLs have adversely impacted the conduct of trials, particularly in Pocso and NDPS cases. Although KeLSA had also highlighted delays in appointing special public prosecutors in Pocso courts, the state govt informed HC on Thursday that necessary steps were being taken to address this issue. HC, however, directed the state and PSC to coordinate and ensure that the vacancies are filled without delay, observing that continued inaction would affect the state's criminal justice system. The counsel for the PSC explained the procedural requirements and inherent time lag involved in appointments. In this context, the court called for a report from the district judiciary on the extent to which criminal trials are pending due to the lack of forensic reports.
