RTI activist Gokhale cancels defamatory tweet against Laxmipuri: HC

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered RTI activist Saket Gokhale to quash a tweet defaming former ambassador Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri. Gokhale had earlier told the court that he did not want to remove the tweet.

In the interim order hearing the defamation case, Judge c. Hari Shankar had asked Gokhale not to make such defamatory tweets against Lakshmi Puri and her husband Union Minister Hardeep Puri.

The court said Gokhale would not remove the tweet within 24 hours of the order or Twitter would identify his URL and take necessary action.

The court passed the order after Laxmipuri filed a defamation suit against Gokhale for Rs 5 crore and ordered removal of the tweet. He alleged that Gokhale in his tweet had accused him of defamation, baselessness and tarnishing his family's reputation. The court has summoned Gokhale and directed him to file a written statement within four weeks and file a case before the Joint Registrar by September 10.

Earlier, Judge Harishankar had lashed out at Gokhale for such defamatory tweets. He said how can you portray someone as a villain in this way. "If you have objections to the people's representatives, you should meet them first," he said. The case was mainly when Laxmipuri bought a property in Switzerland, prompting an RTI activist to question the Puri couple's declared assets. According to Gokhale, Laxmipuri has more property than the assets declared by Hardeeppuri. He has tagged Sitharaman and demanded an inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate.