The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on March 23, conducted searches at several places, including in Kolkata, connected to former Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in the cash-for-query case.
The development comes just days after the central agency, acting on the directions of anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal, registered an FIR against Moitra.
The Lokpal issued the directions to the CBI after receiving findings of the agency’s preliminary inquiry into allegations made by BJP Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey against Moitra, news agency PTI reported.
Nishikant Dubey has alleged that the TMC leader asked questions in the lower house of Parliament in exchange for cash and gifts from Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani to launch an attack on industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others.
Moitra, however, has denied these charges.
She was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December 2023 for "unethical conduct". Moitra has challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court. The former Krishnanagar MP has been fielded from the same constituency yet again by the TMC in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Earlier this month, a single judge of the Delhi High Court dismissed the TMC leader's interim application to restrain BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai from making allegations against her.
(With inputs from PTI)
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