NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its order on Trinamool Congress (TMC) TMC leader, Mahua Moitra's defamation plea filed against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and an advocate, in connection with the 'cash for query' case.
Delhi HC judge Justice Sachin Datta, reserved the Judgement today, after hearing the arguments and submissions from Moitra, Dubey and lawyer, Jai Anant Dehadrai.
During the hearing today, Justice Datta asked the lawyers of the two defendants-- Dubey and Dehadrai-- Abhimanyu Bhandari and Sanjoy Ghose if there was any quid pro quo between Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani.
Both the lawyers replied that there was a quid pro quo between Moitra and Hiranandani.
In his complaint to the Lok Sabha speaker, the BJP MP Dubey had alleged that Moitra had raised questions in the House after allegedly demanding bribes including cash and gifts from a big firm. He also said that she shared her Lok Sabha Login and password details.
After this, Moitra filed the defamation complaint in the Delhi High Court against Dubey and Dehadrai, after sending them legal notices.
Moitra had filed the defamation complaint, against Dubey and Dehadrai for their alleged defamatory allegations against her that she demanded a bribe for asking questions in Parliament.
Moitra had vehemently denied the allegations levelled by the duo -- Dubey and Dehadrai.
Yesterday, the Delhi HC did not grant any immediate relief to Moitra, who had challenged the cancellation of her govt allotted bungalow, as it deferred the hearing of her plea to Jan 4, next year.
Justice Subramonium Prasad's bench of the Delhi High Court, on Tuesday adjourned the matter to January 04, next year, keeping in view the fact that the Supreme Court had already fixed for hearing for January 3, Moitra's appeal challenging her expulsion as an MP from the Lower House.
49-year-old TMC leader, and former Lok Sabha MP, Moitra had yesterday moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Centre’s order to evict her from government bungalow in the wake of her recent expulsion from the Lok Sabha.
Moitra, in her petition, said that her appeal challenging her expulsion as an MP, is presently pending before the Supreme Court for an adjudication. She thereby sought a direction from the Delhi High Court for appropriate directions and or orders to the respective authorities concerned for her relief.
It is to be noted that Moitra challenged the December 11 order issued by the Directorate of Estates of the Centre to cancel her government accommodation. She was directed to vacate her govt accommodation by January 07, of next year. .
Moitra has in her petition pleaded to the HC to issue directions that would allow her to continue to reside at her current residence till the results of the 2024 general elections are declared.
On Monday, on December 11, Moitra had also moved the Supreme Court to challenge her expulsion from Lok Sabha.
Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8 based on the recommendations of the Ethics Committee which held her guilty of receiving cash and gifts for asking questions in Parliament at the behest of business tycoon Darshan Hiranandani. The House expelled Moitra after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion which was adopted by a voice vote. Moitra had described her expulsion as a decision of a kangaroo court.
The committee also called for an "intense, legal, institutional inquiry" by the central government in a "time-bound manner". The Ethics panel also held her guilty of compromising national security by sharing her Parliament login ID and password with unauthorized persons
With her party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee throwing her weight behind, Moitra had vowed to fight the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) inside the Parliament and outside, in the gutter and on the streets" to see its "end.
Moitra also had received unstinted support from several opposition leaders including senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi after her expulsion from the Parliament.
The controversy over cash for query scam broke out in October after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey based on a complaint by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, alleged that Moitra had raised questions in Parliament in exchange for cash and gifts from Hiranandani.
Later, in an affidavit to the Ethics panel, Hiranandani claimed that Moitra provided him with her login ID and password for the Lok Sabha portal to post questions.