Today (20th March) Mahua Moitra has been summoned by the Delhi High Court in connection with a defamation suit. The suit, filed against her, alleges defamatory statements made by Moitra against advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai. Moitra is required to respond to the allegations by April 1.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court issued summons to Mahua Moitra, a prominent figure in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and former Member of Parliament (MP), following a defamation suit lodged against her by advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.
Justice Prateek Jalan, presiding over the case, emphasized that both Moitra and Dehadrai were engaged in a conflict where blaming solely one party was untenable. He remarked that they were akin to “warring parties,” suggesting a mutual responsibility in the matter.
“In a case of this nature, you (Moitra and Dehadrai) are both warring parties. You are neither a victim nor a perpetrator. The fact that your name comes in every Google search is really…,” the Court remarked.
Representatives for both parties, including advocates Raghav Awasthi and Samudra Sarangi, presented their arguments during the proceedings.
The court directed Moitra to respond to Dehadrai’s plea for interim relief, seeking to prevent her from making defamatory statements against him, by April 1. Despite this, no immediate action was taken on the interim relief request as Dehadrai chose not to pursue it further.
Additionally, the court extended its summons to various media outlets, including India Today, CNN News 18, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Gulf News, Google, and X (formerly Twitter), ensuring all involved parties were duly notified of the legal proceedings.
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The case, scheduled for its next hearing on April 8, revolves around allegations made by Dehadrai against Moitra initiated on their past relationship. Dehadrai had previously accused Moitra of accepting bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani for parliamentary favors, leading to Moitra’s suspension from the Lok Sabha.
Dehadrai in his plea contended that after he filed the complaint against Moitra, she embarked on a ceaseless campaign of slander and abuse, utilizing various social media platforms and mainstream media outlets to disseminate false, abusive, and defamatory statements against him.
Dehadrai alleged that Moitra started campaign against him, tarnishing his reputation through social media and mainstream news platforms. He further claimed that these defamatory statements had adversely impacted his professional standing, causing him to lose clients.
Addressing the court, Dehadrai expressed profound humiliation over Moitra’s allegations.
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Notably, the court refused to take immediate action due to the age of the alleged defamation. However, it granted Moitra an opportunity to provide a formal response.
In his defamation suit, Dehadrai sought injunctions against Moitra, asking her to cease making defamatory remarks and demanding media outlets remove such content. These directives also extended to major platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Google.
