Mahua Moitra's Defamation Suit: Delhi High Court Reserves Order

The Delhi High Court today (Wednesday) reserved its order on an interim plea by the recently expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, restraining the BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai from posting or circulating any fake or defamatory content against Moitra, after hearing the counsel for Moitra, Dubey and Dehadrai.

Filing a defamation suit, Moitra had demanded a permanent injunction against Dubey, Dehadrai, social media platforms X, search engine Google, YouTube and 15 media houses in her plea. She also wanted all of them to stop publishing, circulating or creating ex facie false and malicious statements against her. She had also demanded damages from the parties. However, Moitra removed the media houses and social media intermediaries from the memo of parties, maintaining her case only against Dubey and Dehadrai.

Senior advocate Sanjoy Ghosh and and lawyer Abhimanyu Bhandari, representing Dehadrai and Dubey respectively said that there was a quid pro quo and Moitra got gifts and other rewards from businessman Hiranandani for posing questions on behalf of Hiranandani’s business interests.

The advocates also pointed out the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee report, saying even the committee found the business agreement between her and Hiranandani, leading to the MP’s expulsion. When the court asked them to place relevant extract of the committee’s report, Moitra’s counsel objected to the submission, explaining that she received the gifts from the businessman because of their friendship, and it was not for asking questions in the parliament

Moitra’s lawyer further accused Dehadrai and Dubey of still spreading defamatory statements against Moitra and requested the court to restrain both from the practice.