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Mahua Moitra moves out of government bungalow, lawyer says 'not evicted'
The possession of the house was handed over by Mahua Moitra's lawyers to the Directorate of Estates.
New Delhi: Mahua Moitra, the Trinamool Congress leader who was expelled from the Lok Sabha last year over the cash-for-query scandal, has vacated her government-allotted bungalow in the national capital, her lawyer said on Friday, amid reports that the authorities had sent a team to evict her.
Moitra's lawyer said in a statement that "no eviction took place at all" and that her lawyers handed over the possession of the house to the Directorate of Estates.
Mahua Moitra's counsel Shadan Farasat said Moitra had "fully vacated" the house by 10 am today. She said the premises were vacated before the authorities arrived.
"House number 9B Telegraph Lane occupied by Ms. Mahua Moitra was fully vacated by 10 am this morning 19/1/2023 and possession handed over by her lawyers to Directorate of Estates who are inspecting and engaged in due process. Premises were vacated before authorities arrived and no “ eviction” took place at all," the lawyer said in the statement.
The Department of Estates oversees the upkeep of the Central government's residential and official properties.
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court refused to grant relief to Mahua Moitra.
Also read: Mahua Moitra's plea seeking stay on eviction order dismissed by Delhi high court
The Trinamool Congress leader had challenged her eviction and sought a stay on several notices sent by the DoE.
Justice Girish Kathpaliya dismissed the interim application.
"In view of the pendency of the issue of expulsion of petitioner before the Supreme Court and the issue of extension of time to vacate the government accommodation being inextricably linked with that, coupled with the fact that as on date petitioner has no right," the court said.
The court also said that the bungalow had been allotted to her on account of her Lok Sabha membership. After her expulsion, she "has no right to continue".
"The petitioner having been allotted the government accommodation incidental to her status as a Member of Parliament and that status having ceased upon her expulsion, which expulsion has not been stayed by the Supreme Court despite hearing afforded to her, presently she has no right to continue in the said government accommodation and accordingly, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, she cannot be granted protection as sought," Justice Kathpaliya said in the order passed on Thursday, reported PTI.
Also read: Mahua Moitra is hospitalised, was in ICU; don't throw her out: Lawyer tells Delhi HC
Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the Ethics Committee found her guilty of unethical conduct. She had been accused of accepting bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in return for allowing him to ask questions in the Parliament using her parliamentary portal. Rejecting the bribe charge, Moitra said she shared the credentials to seek his staff's help in typing out her queries on the portal.
