Although Moitra’s appeal against her expulsion from Parliament was not dismissed by the nation’s highest court, it did declare that it would first ascertain whether it had the authority to hear the matter.
Why is this story important?
The cash-for-query issue erupted when Nishikant Dubey, a BJP MP, claimed Moitra accepted money from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for Moitra’s asking pointed questions against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Adani Group in Parliament.
On December 8, Moitra was dismissed following the Ethics Committee’s adoption of a report that concluded she had accepted gifts and unapproved gratuities from a businessman in order to further his objectives.
SC grants the secretariat of the Lok Sabha three weeks to reply.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta presented the case that the SC shouldn’t meddle in parliamentary decision-making on behalf of the Lok Sabha secretariat.
“We will conduct an investigation if we possess the authority of judicial review,” the Supreme Court declared in a notification to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Moitra will have three weeks from now to answer, following which the House Secretariat has been granted that much time.
Bench denies Moitra’s plea to be present at the LS sessions.
The TMC leader’s request for an early hearing was denied by the top court, which allegedly highlighted the Budget session, which is scheduled for next month.
Furthermore, the bench turned down senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s plea for Moitra to be temporarily permitted to attend Lok Sabha sessions.
Judge Sanjiv Khanna responded, “No…that will be virtually allowing your writ petition.”
Moitra has acknowledged before revealing her Parliament login.
Earlier, Moitra acknowledged giving Hiranandani her Parliament username and password, saying there was no law against it.
The expelled TMC MP acknowledged that the businessman was a friend and that he gave him gifts, but he declined to give him money.
“Ethics panel punishing me for practice that is routine, accepted and encouraged in Lok Sabha,” Moitra added.