The Supreme Court has deferred the plea filed by Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra against her expulsion as a Lok Sabha member in connection with alleged misconduct in a cash-for-query case. The adjournment until January 3 follows Moitra’s expulsion on December 8 over charges related to unethical conduct and her purported direct involvement in the cash-for-query affair. Moitra, representing the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, faced allegations stemming from her “direct involvement” in what was deemed as “unethical” behavior.
Moitra’s defence counters these allegations, citing “substantial illegality” and “arbitrariness” in the recommendations made by the Lok Sabha ethics committee that led to her expulsion.
Friday marked the hearing of Moitra’s case before a bench presided over by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, coinciding with the Supreme Court’s last working day before the winter recess.
The petition challenging her disqualification highlights Moitra’s grievances about not being afforded an opportunity to defend herself in the Lok Sabha during the discussion regarding the ethics panel’s findings.
The expulsion was executed through a voice vote in the Lok Sabha, accompanied by opposition MPs’ walkout, adopting the ethics committee’s report, which alleged Moitra’s sharing of login credentials and acceptance of gifts, potentially including cash, from businessman Darshan Hiranandani.
Moitra’s entanglement in this controversy arose after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raised concerns to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, prompted by a complaint from Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehradai. This complaint alleged that Moitra received money and favors in exchange for posing questions in Parliament.
Darshan Hiranandani, in an affidavit submitted to the ethics committee on October 19, claimed that Moitra provided him with her login ID and password for the Lok Sabha members’ website. This revelation prompted the CBI to file a preliminary FIR in the case.
The adjournment of Moitra’s plea extends the legal battle surrounding her expulsion, marked by allegations, counter-allegations, and the assertion of procedural lapses during the parliamentary deliberations. As the case progresses, the Supreme Court’s scrutiny of the matter remains pivotal, shaping the trajectory of Moitra’s challenge against her disqualification from the Lok Sabha.
Sources By Agencies