Delhi HC junks Mahua Moitra's plea against ED for allegedly leaking info to media

Mahua Moitra's plea junked by Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on February 23 dismissed Trinamool Congress leader Mahuar Moitra's plea asking the court to restrain the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from leaking information to the media about the ongoing probe against her.

Moitra had alleged that information regarding the ED probe against her under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) had reached the media before it could reach her. A copy of the Delhi High Court's order is yet to be made available.

During the course of the hearing, Moitra's lawyer Rebecca John had argued that while the ED has the right to investigate, it cannot feed confidential information about the probe to the media.

Earlier in February 2024, the ED had summoned Moitra to question her regarding FEMA violations. Moitra is being probed by the CBI too and it is conducting a preliminary inquiry into the allegations against the Trinamool leader.

BJP Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey had accused Moitra of asking questions in Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts.

He had also accused Moitra of compromising national security for monetary gains.

Moitra has denied any wrongdoing and claimed she was being targeted as she had raised questions on the deals of the Adani Group.

The former TMC MP was held guilty of “unethical conduct” and expelled from Lok Sabha on December 8 last year for allegedly accepting gifts from Hiranandani and sharing user ID and password of Parliament website with him.

“Neither has Lok Pal uploaded any referral order on the website as per the Lokpal Act nor has the CBI put out anything official. ‘Sources’ telling journos as per usual media circus. Hope Rs 13,000 crore Adani coal scam merits CBI PE before my witchhunt,” Moitra had said on X platform in November.