CBI likely to file FIR against Mahua Moitra, seeks ethics committee report

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in a letter to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, solicited a copy of the ethics committee report in a case involving expelled Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra. The probe agency is already conducting an inquiry into the case following the directives of the Lokpal, India's anti-corruption ombudsman.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat, according to sources, is yet to give the ethics committee report to the CBI. Notably, the ethics committee has already recommended an investigation into the allegations.

Further, if the Lok Sabha Secretariat forwards the report to the CBI, securing the necessary sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the agency could register a First Information Report (FIR) directly without an approval from the Lokpal.

The CBI is also expected to submit its inquiry report to the Lokpal, and can register an FIR in the case if the Lokpal directs the agency to file a criminal case.

On December 8, Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the House adopted the report of its Ethics Committee that held her guilty of accepting gifts and illegal gratification from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to further his interest. The TMC leader has vehemently denied the allegations.

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Following her expulsion, Moitra hit out at the ethics panel for "acting without proof" and said it was becoming a "weapon" to "bulldoze" the Opposition. She alleged that the Ethics Committee and its report "broke every rule in the book".

The allegations against Moitra were raised by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who accused the TMC leader of asking questions in Parliament "in exchange for cash and gifts" from businessman Darshan Hiranandani. The BJP MP had cited advocate Jai Dehadrai's letter which mentioned "irrefutable evidence" of the alleged exchange between Moitra and Hiranandani.

Hiranandani then submitted a letter before the ethics committee, claiming that Moitra had shared her Parliamentary login ID and password so that he could "post questions on her behalf".

Later, Moitra, while speaking exclusively to India Today TV, admitted that she had given her Parliament login ID and password to Hiranandani to have someone in his office type in the questions to be asked in Lok Sabha.

On November 2, the TMC leader appeared before the ethics committee but walked out of the meeting along with other Opposition leaders over the nature of the questions that were posed to her. The ethics panel's chairman was accused of asking "personal questions" to Mahua Moitra.

Later, the panel adopted its report on the allegations against Moitra, which ultimately led to her expulsion as a Lok Sabha MP.