Mahua Moitra case: Mahua Moitra had received an eviction notice earlier this week.
Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from Lok Sabha last month for unethical conduct, vacated her government bungalow today. The Bengal MP had received an eviction notice earlier this week ordering her to vacate the bungalow immediately.
"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," Ms Moitra's lawyers told the media.
In a strongly-worded eviction notice, the Centre asked Ms Moitra to immediately vacate the bungalow. The notice by the Directorate of Estates, which manages government properties, stated that if Ms Moitra does not vacate the premises on her own, she and any other occupant "are liable to be evicted from the said premises, if need be, by the use of such force as may be necessary".
The government in its notice said Ms Moitra had been "allowed sufficient opportunity" but she failed to prove that she is not an unauthorised occupant.
On Thursday, Ms Moitra failed to get any relief from the Delhi High Court which refused to stay the eviction order and asked her to vacate the government bungalow.
Justice Girish Kathpalia said no specific rule has been brought before the court which dealt with the eviction of MPs from government accommodation after they cease to be lawmakers.
Mahua Moitra was held guilty of "unethical conduct" and expelled from Lok Sabha on December 8 last year for allegedly accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password of the Parliament website with him.