On Jan 4, Delhi HC to hear Mahua Moitra’s plea over vacating official residence

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court said on Tuesday it will hear on January 4 TMC leader Mahua Moitra’s petition challenging cancellation of allotment of government quarters to her following her expulsion from the Lok Sabha, after noting that the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear her plea against dismissal from Parliament on January 4.

HC said since Moitra has challenged her expulsion from the Lok Sabha before the Supreme Court in a separate petition, any order passed by the High Court would amount to impinging on the apex court proceedings.

“The Supreme Court opens on January 2 so, we will hear it on January 4,” Justice Prasad said.

As the counsel for Moitra urged the High Court to direct the Directorate of Estates, which has passed the order cancelling the allotment, to file a reply to the petition before January 4, the High Court said it will consider the prayer during the next hearing that day. The petition has sought the Directorate of Estates’ December 11 order to be set aside.

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 challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court after the Lok Sabha adopted the report of its ethics committee recommending her ouster. The case is listed for hearing on January 3.