Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Member of Parliament (MP) Pinaki Misra has filed a defamation suit against Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai. The suit pertains to derogatory remarks made by Dehadrai, including terms like “Odia Babu” and “Dalal of Puri”, which allegedly targeted Misra.
NEW DELHI: Recently, Pinaki Misra, a Member of Parliament from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) representing Odisha’s Puri constituency, filed a defamation suit against advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai for defamation in the Delhi High Court. Misra alleges that Dehadrai made baseless corruption allegations against him, referring to him as “Canning Lane,” “Odia Babu,” and the “Dalal of Puri.”
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Seeking an apology and damages, Misra has also requested a court order to restrain Dehadrai from making further defamatory statements and to remove the defamatory content posted on Twitter and news platforms like PTI and ANI.
In the filed suit, Pinaki Misra highlights his association with Dehadrai’s former partner, Mahua Moitra, who is a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader. The suit clarifies that Misra and Dehadrai had limited interactions and became acquainted through common friends and social circles. As Dehadrai and Moitra separated, Dehadrai allegedly accused Moitra and Misra of bribery and corruption.
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“In November 2023, Defendant No. 1 (Dehadrai) persistently leveled a series of accusations, targeting not only Ms. Moitra but also individuals with whom she had personal connections, including the Plaintiff,” the suit stated.
According to the suit, in November 2023, Dehadrai began posting a series of tweets on Twitter, repeatedly referring to Misra using pseudonyms such as “Canning Lane” and “Oriya/Odia Babu.” Dehadrai’s tweets accused Misra of involvement in criminal conspiracies.
The suit also mentions a CBI complaint filed by Dehadrai, claiming that Misra had received Rs 2 crore to make high-value purchases on behalf of Moitra, specifically furniture. However, Misra contends that he had already purchased the furniture for his own use before the alleged cash transaction in May 2021.
“Defendant No. 1 has additionally established an anonymous account on Defendant No. 4’s platform under the pseudonyms ‘Chandrawami Pinaki Moitra’ or ‘Ahmed Ansari’. Through this account, Defendant No. 1 persists in disseminating defamatory accusations, while also affirming that references such as ‘Canning Lane’, ‘Odia Babu’, or ‘Dalal of Puri’ in Defendant No. 1’s tweets are directed towards the Plaintiff.”
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Pinaki Misra’s defamation case has been filed with the assistance of advocate Samudra Sarangi. It is worth noting that Mahua Moitra had previously filed a defamation suit against Jai Anant Dehadrai, but the court denied interim relief to Moitra. In response, Dehadrai has also filed a defamation case against Moitra, which is still under consideration by the High Court.
