New Delhi, Feb. 9: The Supreme Court today directed actor Govinda to apologise in person to a fan he had slapped eight years ago, brushing aside an offer of a settlement his lawyer made in court.

"What did we tell you at the last hearing? We had asked you to meet him (the fan) and sort it out. Whatever you want to offer, tell him personally and don't give it to us," the bench told Govinda's counsel, Sangeeta Kumar.

According to the offer, Govinda is willing to pay Rs 5 lakh and tender an unconditional apology to the fan, Santosh Bateshwar Ray, whom he had slapped during the shooting of a film in Mumbai in January 2008.

However, the fan's counsel, Jatin Zaveri, told the court that Santosh was hurt that the actor had not made any effort to meet him.

"Your Lordships, he is trying to mediate either through his lawyer or personal secretary but not making any personal efforts," Zaveri told the bench.

The lawyer said a meeting was scheduled on February 6 in Mumbai between the two, but the actor did not turn up. Instead, he said, Govinda's secretary forwarded the apology.

The bench of Justices V. Gopala Gowda and U.U. Lalit warned that Govinda might have to face prosecution if he failed to sort out the matter. Santosh had sought Govinda's prosecution for criminal intimidation and for using criminal force to cause him grievous hurt, charges that can be punished with jail up to two years.

Govinda's lawyer said the actor had misinterpreted the court's earlier directive.

"It's an unintentional error. He was under the impression a written apology would be enough. He is prepared to even appear in the court and apologise," the counsel said.

However, the bench said: "There is no need for him to come here. Let him go and meet the complainant and thrash it out."

The bench said it was giving the actor two weeks to sort out the matter with the fan, failing which it would hear Santosh's appeal on merit.

Later in the day, Govinda held a news conference in Mumbai where he said: "I am sorry... I have been asked to say sorry and I am saying it. I have done everything what I have been asked by the judiciary to do."

The actor added: "I hold no bitterness against the fan and have done everything to the satisfaction of the judiciary and the fan. He wanted me to give him respect, an unconditional apology and compensation for all the monetary loss he has suffered all these years. I have done all this in accordance with the Supreme Court's decision. I have already met him and will meet him again."

Santosh had moved the apex court against the Bombay High Court order quashing his complaint against Govinda seeking his prosecution. The high court had set aside the trial court order summoning the actor.

The earlier Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice T.S. Thakur, who is now the Chief Justice of India, had said at the hearing in November 2015 that it admired Govinda's films. "He is a big actor. When you make a mistake you should have a heart to admit it. You should ask him (the complainant) to forgive and forget," the bench had told Govinda's lawyer.