HC ‘appalled’ over Mahua Moitra’s counsel contacting Dehadrai to take back CBI complaint

NEW DELHI, Oct 20: The Delhi High Court Friday said it was “appalled” to know that TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s counsel contacted and tried to mediate between her and the advocate against whom she has sought restraint orders to prevent him from circulating any defamatory content against her.
“I am really appalled. You are a person who is expected to maintain the highest professional standard. If you have been in contact with defendant no. 2 (advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai).” Justice Sachin Datta told senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who was representing Moitra in the suit she has filed for permanent injunction and damages against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, Dehadrai and a battery of media organisations.
The public expression of displeasure by the judge prompted Sankaranarayanan to withdraw himself from the case.
Moitra, one of the most vocal members of the Lok Sabha and a strong critic of the Modi government, is in the eye of a raging political firestorm over allegations by Dubey that she took bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions targeting industrialist Gautam Adani and his group.
The court was informed by Dehadrai, who appeared in person, that he was contacted by Sankaranarayanan over the phone on Thursday for withdrawing his complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader over the alleged she accepted from Hiranandani.
Moitra has filed a plea seeking to restrain Nishikant Dubey, Dehadrai, several social media platforms and media houses from posting or circulating any alleged fake and defamatory content against her.
During the brief hearing, Dehadrai said, “There is something very disturbing. There is a very serious conflict of interest. He (Sankarnarayanan) had a 30-minute call with me. He asked me to withdraw the CBI complaint in exchange for the dog (which Dehadrai was alleged to have stolen from Moitra). He can’t appear in the matter, I have the recording.” Responding to the claim, Sankaranarayanan said Dehadrai has instructed him in the past in some cases and that’s why he approached him.
He also said he told his client, Moitra, that Dehadrai was a member of the Bar and he had earlier assisted him in a case so let him speak to the latter to which she agreed.
The judge said, “You tried to play the role of a mediator. Are you then eligible to still appear in this matter? It is something that you need to answer yourself. It is your call”.
At the outset, the counsel representing Dubey said late last night the businessman has issued a statement saying gifts changed hands.
Darshan Hiranandani, the CEO of real estate-to-energy group Hiranandani, had Thursday said the TMC leader targeted Gautam Adani to “malign and embrass” Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose impeccable reputation gave opposition no opportunity to attack him.
In a signed affidavit sent to Parliament’s Ethics Committee, Hiranandani admitted at using Moitra’s parliamentary login to ask questions targeting Adani. He also claimed she frequently demanded “expensive luxury items, providing support on renovation of her officially allotted bungalow in Delhi, travel expenses, holidays, etc, apart from providing secretarial and logistical help for her travels within India and to different parts of the world.” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has forwarded Dubey’s complaint.
The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 31 after it reopens following the Dussehra break. (PTI)