Delhi HC rejects Mahua Moitra's plea in cash for query row

Cash for query case: The Delhi High Court has rejected a plea by TMC leader Mahua Moitra to restrain BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai from making defamatory allegations.

The former MP had taken legal action against Dubey and Dehadrai, alleging defamation, when they claimed that Moitra engaged in questionable practices by posing questions in parliament and sharing her parliamentary account login details with Hiranandani, purportedly in exchange for favors and lavish gifts.

The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, reacting to these accusations, recommended Moitra's expulsion from the lower house, on December 20th. This recommendation was subsequently implemented, leading to Moitra's removal from parliament on December 8, 2023.


In October of last year, the expelled member of the Lok Sabha from West Bengal's Krishnanagar filed a plea seeking a permanent injunction against Dubey, Dehadrai, social media platforms X, Google, YouTube, and 15 media houses, prohibiting them from making, publishing, or disseminating statements that are malicious, defamatory, or ex facie false about her. She has also requested compensation.

Later, she removed all media outlets and social media middlemen from the parties' memo and restricted her legal action to Dubey and Dehadrai.

Moitra was charged by Dubey with accepting bribes from businesses.

Moitra denied the allegations, saying Hiranandani was merely a friend, and there has been no quid pro quo involved. She said the claims were part of a broader political vendetta against her.

On the other hand, Dehadrai and Dubey maintain their stance, asserting that Moitra granted Hiranandani complete access to her online Lok Sabha account. According to them, Hiranandani used this access to post parliamentary questions of his preference. They also claimed that out of the 61 questions posed by Moitra in parliament, a significant majority, specifically 50, were allegedly drafted by Hiranandani.