New Delhi: Mahua Moitra's defamation plea over 'cash-for-query' allegations against her will be heard by Delhi High Court on October 31. The case was postponed after her lawyer today withdrew from the case citing a 'conflict of interest'.
The withdrawal came after the court was informed by advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai that Ms Moitra's lawyer Gopal Sankarnarayan contacted him over phone on Thursday night for withdrawing his complaint to the CBI against the Trinamool leader.
Ms Moitra has described Mr Dehadrai as a "jilted ex" who wants to get back at her. There is an ongoing tussle between Ms Moitra and Mr Dehadrai over their pet dog, Rottweiler Henry. In the last six months, Ms Moitra has filed multiple police complaints against Mr Dehadrai for alleged criminal trespass, theft, vulgar messages and abuse, PTI reported.
Mr Dehadrai had provided alleged evidence to BJP leader Nishikant Dubey of Ms Moitra accepting cash to ask questions in the Parliament.
The 'conflict of interest' was brought up in court by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai on Thursday. Justice Sachin Datta said he was "appalled" and said since Mr Sankaranarayanan tried to play the role of a mediator, is he still eligible to appear in the matter?
"It's something that you need to answer yourself. It's your call," the judge said, prompting Sankaranarayanan to withdraw himself from the case.
Withdrawing from the case, Mr Sankarnarayan said, "I had reached out to him (Jai Anant Dehadrai) yesterday, that is correct. I asked him is there any way of exploring a settlement, that's all the conversation was about. Jai said he would get back to me, but he didn't. I am no longer concerned to this case and have withdrawn from it."
The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 31, on reopening after Dusshera break.
Ms Moitra, the Lok Sabha MP representing Krishnanagar in West Bengal, has sought permanent injunction against Mr Dubey, Mr Dehadrai, social media platform X, search engine Google and YouTube and to restrain them from making, publishing, circulating per se defamatory, ex facie false and malicious statements against her.
Industrialist Darshan Hiranandani has also backed the charges against the Trinamool MP claiming that he bribed Mahua Moitra to ask questions in Parliament. In a three-page affidavit yesterday, the businessman claimed she saw attacking the Adani Group as a way to become famous. He also asserted that Ms Moitra shared her Parliament login credentials with him.
Ms Moitra, in a detailed and pointed rebuttal, slammed Mr Hiranandani's affidavit, alleging that the Prime Minister's Office had pressured him into signing the document and then released it to the media.