Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Nov 15: In a significant development, the Lokpal of India has granted permission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a chargesheet against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra within four weeks in the alleged cash-for-query case.

Following the Lokpal’s go-ahead, the CBI has initiated the legal process against the Krishnanagar MP from West Bengal’s Nadia district. The decision was taken during a full bench meeting of the Lokpal on November 12, which also directed the probe agency to furnish a copy of the chargesheet to the ombudsman.

The case traces back to a complaint by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who accused Moitra of accepting cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for raising questions in Parliament aimed at targeting industrialist Gautam Adani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others. It was also alleged that she compromised national security by sharing her Lok Sabha login credentials.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI registered an FIR on March 21, 2024, against Moitra and Hiranandani under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, following a reference from the Lokpal. The agency later submitted its preliminary report in July this year.

Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December 2023 for “unethical conduct”, has challenged her disqualification before the Supreme Court. Despite the controversy, she successfully retained her Krishnanagar seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, defeating BJP’s Amrita Roy.

The chargesheet, once filed, is expected to mark a crucial step forward in the high-profile investigation that continues to stir political debate across the country.