What 500-page report on Mahua Moitra said about ‘money trail’, Darshan Hiranandani
The ethics panel said it did not have technical wherewithal to criminally investigate and unearth the money that Mahua Moitra was accused of taking.
Industrialist Darshan Hiranandani has residency rights in Dubai and many of his close relatives are foreign nationals, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee said in its report on 'cash-for-question' allegations against Mahua Moitra. The report with a recommendation to expel Mahua Moitra from Lok Sabha was adopted on Thursday in a 6:4 vote in the panel.
According to a PTI report, the 500-page report on Mahua Moitra said that Darshan Hiranandani's Dubai residency and foreign connection creates a serious risk of leakage of sensitive material to foreign agencies. The threat of cyberattacks which could have entirely disabled the functioning of Parliament has also been mentioned in the report. "Such elements could plant material into the system that could impact national security by creating false documents or fake narratives," PTI reported citing sources.
Both Darshan Hiranandani and Mahua Moitra have admitted that the industrialist used Mahua Moitra's Parliament login. The site hosts many documents, including draft bills circulated in advance to MPs, the report said elaborating on the risk of leak of such sensitive material.
'No expertise to unearth money trail'
The committee in its report said it had no expertise or technical wherewithal to criminally investigate and unearth the money trail that Mahua Moitra, as alleged, took from Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for the Parliament login. Mahua Moitra rejected the cash charge and asked for evidence.
The committee said Mahua Moitra accepted "illegal gratifications" from Hiranandani. In interviews, Mahua Moitra said she was friends with Darshan Hiranandani even when she was not an MP. She listed some makeup items and accessories as the only gifts that she received from Darshan, apart from his car pick up and drop whenever she is in Mumbai.
Mahua Moitra said the ethics committee report was a pre-fixed match by a kangaroo court and a death of parliamentary democracy. "Even if they expel me in this Lok Sabha, I will be back in the next Lok Sabha with a bigger mandate," Mahua Moitra said.