From RTI Crusader To Controversial MP: The Tumultuous Rise Of Saket Gokhale

Saket Gokhale is an Indian activist and politician. He is currently a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) from West Bengal and belongs to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party. He was born on January 31, 1987. Before entering politics, Saket worked as an English teacher in the Czech Republic and later became a foreign journalist, writing for Financial Times and National Public Radio.

Saket Gokhale is known for using the Right to Information (RTI) to raise issues. However, his actions have led to several legal problems. He has been arrested multiple times for allegedly spreading false information and for money-laundering. One major case involved Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, a former diplomat and wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. She filed a defamation case against Gokhale for making false claims about her. The Delhi High Court ordered Gokhale to pay ₹50 lakh in damages to her.

Also, on May 15, 2025, the Delhi High Court told Gokhale to publicly apologize to Lakshmi Puri within two weeks.

Early Life And Education

Saket Gokhale was born on January 31, 1987, in India. His father is a retired police officer. He studied journalism and media. In 2008, he started his career by teaching English at a school in Mladá Boleslav, a city in the Czech Republic. Later, he moved into journalism as his main profession.

Political Career

Saket Gokhale officially joined politics in August 2021 by becoming a member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Soon after, he was made the National Spokesperson of the party. Later, on July 18, 2023, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of India’s Parliament) from West Bengal, taking the place of Luizinho Faleiro.

Professional Background 

After coming back to India from the Czech Republic in 2012, Saket Gokhale worked as a foreign correspondent. He reported news for well-known international media outlets like the Financial Times and National Public Radio (NPR). He has also been very active in RTI (Right to Information) activism for more than seven years. Before joining politics, he covered news related to Europe, Asia, and even reported on events in the Middle East and East Asia.

Controversies & Legal Cases

Morbi Bridge Tweet Case
Saket Gokhale was arrested by Ahmedabad Cyber Cell for posting a tweet on December 5, 2022.  In the tweet, he claimed that the government had spent ₹30 crore for PM Modi’s visit to Morbi after the bridge collapse. However, this claim was proven false by the PIB fact-check team.
He was charged with forgery, spreading fear, and defamation (damaging someone’s reputation). Gokhale was given bail after being held for some time.

Money-Laundering Case (PMLA)
Gujarat Police arrested Gokhale in Delhi on December 29, 2022. The case was about the misuse of money he had raised from the public using crowdfunding. On January 25, 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
He was accused of misusing over ₹1 crore, which was meant for public causes (campaigns like #FightWithRTI and #SaketVersusModi).

Instead, the money was reportedly used for share trading, cryptocurrency, and luxury spending. The case began with an FIR by Gujarat Police, and later, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch arrested him in December 2022. On April 17, 2023, the Supreme Court gave him bail in the police case.
In May 2023, a special PMLA court in Ahmedabad gave him bail in the money-laundering case too.

On August 13, 2024, the PMLA court formally framed charges against him and refused to stop the trial, saying the money-laundering case could continue even if other related cases were still pending. In simple words, Saket Gokhale is facing serious legal trouble for posting false information and allegedly using public donations for personal gain.

Saket Gokhale Ordered To Pay ₹50 Lakh, Apologize In Defamation Case Over False Tweets Against Lakshmi Puri

The Delhi High Court ruled against Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale in a defamation case on July 1, 2024. The case was filed by Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, a former Indian diplomat and wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The court ordered Gokhale to Pay ₹50 lakh to Puri as damages. Post a public apology on his X (formerly Twitter) account and in the Times of India newspaper.

In June 2021, Gokhale posted tweets questioning how Lakshmi Puri could afford a CHF 1.6 million apartment (about ₹13 crore) in Geneva, Switzerland, back in 2005. He suggested there may have been financial wrongdoing and even asked for an ED (Enforcement Directorate) investigation.

What Did Lakshmi Puri Say?
She explained that:

CHF 1 million came from a bank loan from UBS Bank.
The remaining CHF 600,000 was from her daughter, who worked as a Senior Vice President at a global investment bank in New York.
The property was properly reported to the Ministry of External Affairs at the time.

What Did the Court Say?
The judge, Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani, said Gokhale’s tweets were: False, unverified, and misleading. The court said he made serious allegations without checking facts or asking Puri for clarification. It emphasized that such baseless claims can seriously harm someone’s reputation, especially if the person is a public figure. On April 24, 2025, the court said that: Part of Gokhale’s monthly salary as an MP should be deducted until he pays the full ₹50 lakh. He must publish an unconditional apology within four weeks and pay the ₹50 lakh within eight weeks.

Saket Gokhale Received Rs 23.5 Lakh from Rahul Gandhi’s Aide : ED

Saket Gokhale was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He was accused of misusing money collected through crowdfunding. Gokhale had collected around ₹1 crore through online fundraising campaigns. According to the ED, most of this money was spent on his personal needs, such as: eating out at restaurants, medical treatments, investing in the stock market

The ED also said that Gokhale received ₹23.5 lakh from the Congress party. This money was deposited by Rahul Gandhi’s aide, Shankar Sawai, and was said to be for “social media work and consulting.”

Anti Hindu Activities

Saket Gokhale blamed Hindus for attacks in Leicester

Saket Gokhale said that Hindus were responsible for the violence in Leicester, UK. He claimed that the world should take Hindu extremist groups seriously and described them as “saffron terror”. This comment upset many people and sparked criticism. Gokhale stopped a Mata Jagran (a Hindu religious event with bhajans) at Sindhu Gomti Apartment, Vishambar Das Marg, Lucknow. He said his mother is unwell and the loud bhajans could disturb her, as she is a heart patient.

He claimed that doctors advised against noise. However, the event organizers said the stage was 300 meters away, and the sound wouldn’t be too loud. This led to anger among local residents, who felt he was blocking a religious event unfairly.He claimed that she gave a speech asking Hindus to take up weapons for self-defense, which could create hatred and tension between communities. He sent the complaint to the Superintendent of Police in Shivamogga, Karnataka. Gokhale said her comments were inflammatory and could disturb law and order.

During a conversation on Twitter, Saket Gokhale said that if a Muslim woman wants to marry only a Muslim man, that should not be called bigotry (hatred or discrimination). Then, another user named Richa Singh replied, saying that when a Brahmin person refuses to marry outside their caste, people usually say it’s narrow-minded or backward. In response, Gokhale said the Muslim woman was just saying she wants to marry within her religion, not a specific caste like Syed or Ashraf. He also said that Brahminism is a harmful idea, and comparing it to Islam is wrong and misleading.

Saket Gokhale filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court to stop the Bhumi Pujan (foundation ceremony) at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. He said the event broke the rules set for coronavirus safety. In his petition, Gokhale argued that the Uttar Pradesh government should not allow the ceremony because the Central government’s guidelines did not permit religious gatherings. He also said on Twitter that the ‘Unlock 2.0’ rules from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) clearly banned religious events. Gokhale, who supports the Congress party, filed an RTI (Right to Information) asking the MHA if any special permission was given for the event and why. But later, the court rejected Gokhale’s petition and did not stop the ceremony.

Anti- India Activities

Saket Gokhale said India was sending Covid-19 vaccines to other countries because the vaccines were about to expire and could not be used in India. He also said that vaccines made as early as October 2020 were unsafe and would expire by April, so they were useless. But the truth is, the vaccines made by the Serum Institute early on were very important to start India’s vaccination program on January 16, 2021. This helped avoid delays. The vaccines made in October 2020 were approved by the government. At first, expiry dates were based on limited data, but later tests showed the vaccines stayed effective for more than six months. Saket Gokhale said without any proof that the blast near the Israel Embassy might have been planned by the RSS (a political group). He also said that the truth about the blast would be hidden.

Spreading Lies and Misinformation

1. Covid-19 Test Kit Allegations (March 2020):
Saket Gokhale wrongly claimed that a company called CoSara got special treatment from the government to make Covid test kits. He said rules were changed just to benefit this one company. But in reality, CoSara already had U.S. approval, and rules were changed only for safety during the pandemic. Other Indian kits were approved soon after. Gokhale also gave the wrong number of companies involved.

2. Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains (September 2024):
Gokhale claimed the Modi government increased the train cost by 50% and that they were only for the rich. The truth is the cost rose because more coaches were added, but the total project cost actually went down. Railways is also making many non-AC coaches for common people.

3. Amarnath Yatra Threat (May 2022):
A terror group, TRF, gave a threat to the Amarnath Yatra. Gokhale said the threat was fake and created by the BJP’s IT Cell. This was a serious and baseless accusation.

4. Delhi Rally Permission (February 2020):
Gokhale said police gave him permission for a rally with a controversial slogan. But Delhi Police confirmed no permission was given—he only received an acknowledgment of his request.

5. G20 Bulletproof Cars (August 2023):
Gokhale falsely claimed the government bought bulletproof cars worth ₹400 crores for G20. In reality, only 20 cars were leased for ₹18 crores—following standard global security rules.

6. MQ-9B Drone Deal (June 2023):
Gokhale said India’s drone deal with the U.S. was too expensive. However, his comparison was misleading, as he used incorrect figures. Fact-checkers confirmed the deal was not overpriced.