Mahua Moitra’s Legal Counsel Quits Case After Delhi High Court Labels Him ‘Mediator’

New Delhi: TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s legal representation in the defamation case against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and others has taken a surprising turn. On Friday, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan withdrew from the case after revealing that he had contacted Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, the opposing counsel, for the withdrawal of a complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Moitra.

The court has scheduled further proceedings for October 31 after the Dusshera break.

The core issue in the case is Moitra’s petition seeking restraining orders against Dubey, Dehadrai, various social media platforms, and media houses. She alleges that Dehadrai, once her close friend, turned hostile and began sending her threatening messages, trespassed into her official residence, and even temporarily took her pet dog, Henry. Although she initially filed police complaints, they were later withdrawn due to settlement talks.

Moitra is seeking a permanent injunction against the defendants to prevent the dissemination of false and defamatory statements against her. She also seeks damages.

Dubey has accused Moitra of accepting bribes from a businessman in exchange for asking questions in Parliament. He has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to initiate an inquiry into these allegations, citing evidence presented by Dehadrai.

Moitra denies the bribery allegations and asserts that they are intended to harm her reputation. She has requested the court to compel the defendants to remove any defamatory content posted on their respective platforms.