HC asks Mahua Moitra to approach Directorate of Estates over cancellation of govt accommodation

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked expelled TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra to approach the Directorate of Estates with a request for allowing her to continue to occupy the government quarters allotted to her which was cancelled after her expulsion.

Justice Subramoniun Prasad, while dealing with the Trinamool Congress leader’s challenge to an official intimation asking her to vacate the government bungalow by January 7 on account of cancellation of the allotment following her expulsion, noted that the rules permitted the authorities to allow a resident to overstay for up to six months on payment of certain charges in exceptional circumstances.

‘Move a representation before the Directorate of Estates and there action will be taken in accordance with the law,’ the judge said.

The court allowed Moitra to withdraw her petition and noted it has not made any observations on the merits of the matter. It said the Directorate of Estates shall decide her case after applying its own mind. It added law mandates issuing notice to a resident before eviction and the government has to take steps to evict the petitioner in accordance with law. Senior advocate Pinaki Mishra, appearing for Moitra, said the former MP should be permitted to occupy the government bungalow till the upcoming general elections as it was difficult for her to search for an alternative accommodation at present.

The court was also informed there was no stay on her expulsion by the Supreme Court.

Moitra was held guilty of “unethical conduct” and expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8, 2023 for allegedly accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password of the Parliament website with him. She has challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court after the Lok Sabha adopted the report of its ethics committee recommending her ouster.