New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra’s plea challenging the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) approach in handling the ongoing probe against her under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).
The financial probe agency had told Justice Subramonium Prasad on Thursday that it has not leaked any information to the media, and that it is not aware about the sources of the news articles published by media houses, and that the agency has not issued any press release.
Justice Prasad, who had reserved his order on Thursday, dismissed Moitra’s plea after a brief hearing on Friday.
A copy of the detailed order is awaited.
The ED had issued summons to Moitra under FEMA on February 14 and 20.
During the last hearing, senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for Moitra, had submitted that “I was summoned for the first time by the summon dated February 14, 2024. It was received at a Calcutta residence which is unoccupied by me.”
Moitra’s plea sought judicial intervention to prevent the ED from disseminating any “confidential or unverified information” related to the case to the media.
She had named 19 media organisations, urging the court to restrain them from broadcasting or publishing any “unverified, unconfirmed, false, derogatory content” concerning the ongoing investigation.
Moitra’s plea stressed the necessity for media reporting in her case to align with the official ED press releases, aiming to ensure factual accuracy and prevent spread of misinformation.
She accused the ED of deliberately leaking information about the investigation and her preliminary responses, which she argues aims to tarnish her reputation through a “media-trial”.
In addition to the FEMA case, Moitra has been embroiled in a controversy over allegations of receiving cash in exchange for putting up queries in the Parliament on behalf of businessman Darshan Hiranandani, a charge she has denied despite admitting to sharing her Parliament login details with him.
She has also filed a defamation suit against individuals, including BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, with the judgement on interim relief pending.
