TMC MP Moitra files defamation suit against BJP MP, SC advocate

Dubey claimed that Dehadrai had “shared irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged” between her and Hiranandani

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Tuesday filed a defamation suit in the Delhi high court against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian Nishikant Dubey and Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who have alleged that she took bribes to ask questions in Parliament.

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Dubey on October 15 wrote to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, accusing Moitra of taking bribes from real estate tycoon Darshan Hiranandani in the form of cash and gifts to ask questions in Parliament. He also wrote to IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging him to investigate the IP addresses of her login credentials for Parliament.

Dubey claimed that Dehadrai had “shared irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged” between her and Hiranandani.

Moitra’s lawsuit was listed before the bench of justice Sachin Datta. The high court is expected to hear it on Friday.

Dehadrai, Moitra’s petition said, was formerly a close friend of hers and had stolen her pet dog after the cessation of their friendship. The dog was returned later, it said.

The lawyer claimed that Moitra gave access to her Lok Sabha account to Hiranandani, who misused it to post parliamentary questions of his liking.

Moitra in her suit has sought permanent restraining of Dubey and Dehadrai, along with several media organisations, from making, publishing and circulating defamatory, false and malicious statements designed to damage her reputation. She contended that Dubey did not conduct any due diligence to establish the veracity of the allegations made by Dehadrai.

“Instead, setting aside all modicum of responsibility, integrity and ethics, Defendant No. 1 (Dubey), for obtaining immediate political mileage, regurgitated the false and defamatory allegations in a letter dated 15 October 2023 written by him to the Speaker of the Lok Saba,” Moitra said in her suit.

Calling the allegations levelled against her false and defamatory, she stated that it was a product of Dehadrai’s imagination, exaggerated and regurgitated by Dubey and leaked to media houses.

“Plaintiff has suffered damage to her reputation and goodwill before the public at large on account of the ex-facie false, per se defamatory and malicious allegations invented by Defendant No. 1 (Dubey), propagated and endorsed by Defendant No. 2 (Dehadrai ) and published and circulated by Defendant Nos. 3 - 20 (media organisations),” Moitra’s plea said. “Pertinently, Defendant Nos. 3 –-20 are running the defamatory posts and stories about the Plaintiff around-the-clock and incessantly, therefore with every passing minute these fictitious allegations continue run on their platforms, unchecked and unfettered, causing continuous and irreparable harm to the reputation of the Plaintiff.”

Meanwhile, the complaint against Moitra by Dubey to Birla has been referred to the ethics committee of the Lok Sabha. The panel is expected to summon both sides to hear their views and is likely to meet other officials before arriving at a conclusion.