Appear on Oct 31, ethics panel tells TMC MP Mahua Moitra

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, October 26

The Lok Sabha Committee on Ethics headed by BJP member Vinod Kumar Sonkar on Thursday asked Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra to appear before it on October 31 to record her statement in connection with the cash-for-query charges levelled against her.

The committee also decided to write letters to the IT Ministry and the Union Home Ministry to procure details of the conversation that took place between Moitra, her Dubai-based businessman-friend Darshan Hiranandani and others, and present these details before the committee.

IT, Home ministries told to list details

• Panel seeks details from IT and Home ministries on conversation between Moitra & Hiranandani
• BJP MP Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai recorded their statements on Thursday
• Moitra accused of taking bribe from Hiranandani for targeting Adani Group and PM Modi

The decisions followed submissions made before the committee today by the complainant, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, and Supreme Court advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

“In view of the seriousness of the charges, the committee took two important decisions: sending summons to Moitra to appear on October 31 and say whatever she has to in self-defence; and letters will be written to the IT Ministry and the Home Ministry for acquiring details of the conversation between Moitra, Hiranandani and others,” Sonkar told mediapersons.

“I have stated all the facts,” Dehadrai told the media while leaving the Parliament Annexe building where the meeting of the ethics committee took place. “Appeared before the committee on the charges of shameful act, tampering with security and corruption (against Mahua Moitra). Promised the committee to fully cooperate in the investigation,” Dubey tweeted after deposing before the committee.

In a complaint to Speaker Om Birla on October 15, Dubey cited documents shared by Dehadrai to allege that the advocate, once close to Moitra before having a fallout, had shared “irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged” between her and businessman Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Birla referred the matter to the ethics committee. In a signed affidavit, Hiranandani, Dubai-based real estate magnate who also has interest in energy business, said the TMC leader targeted Adani to get at Modi and become famous quickly.