The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is reportedly examining a complaint forwarded by the Lokpal, implicating Trinamool Congress’s Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra in a cash-for-query scandal. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey initiated the allegations, leading to the Lokpal’s referral of the case to the CBI for investigation.
Moitra is accused of sharing her Parliament login and password with businessman Darshan Hiranandani, enabling him to post questions on her behalf. Dismissing the claims, Moitra labeled them a “pre-fixed match by a kangaroo court.”
While the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha adopted a draft report on November 9, recommending Moitra’s expulsion for “unethical conduct” and “serious misdemeanours,” dissenting voices from the Opposition criticized the inquiry’s speed and propriety.
Moitra, in an interview with The Indian Express, admitted to providing her login credentials to Hiranandani but vehemently denied accepting any cash from him, contrary to the allegations made by complainant Jai Anant Dehadrai.
However, concerns have been raised about the lack of transparency in the investigation process. Neither Lok Pal nor the CBI has officially released any information, leading to skepticism about the authenticity of the probe. Moitra herself took to Twitter, questioning the absence of an uploaded referral order on the Lok Pal website, as required by the Lokpal Act. She also highlighted the lack of official statements from the CBI, emphasizing the reliance on “sources” and criticizing it as a typical media circus.
In her tweet, Mahua expressed hope that the ₹13,000 crore Adani coal scam would merit a CBI Preliminary Enquiry (PE) before what she perceives as a witch hunt against her. The tweet underscores her concerns about the selective attention given to different cases and the need for a fair and unbiased investigation.
