Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has moved the Delhi High Court contesting a sanction granted by the Lokpal of India that allows the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a chargesheet against her in the alleged “cash-for-query” matter. She argues that the sanction order, issued under Section 20(7)(a) of the Lokpal Act, represents a serious breach of natural justice, because the Lokpal purportedly failed to properly consider her written and oral submissions before authorising prosecution.
According to her petition, although she had been invited to comment on the CBI’s investigation report, neither her detailed written defences nor her oral arguments were addressed in the sanction order. She contends that the Lokpal’s decision reduces its role to merely “rubber-stamping” the CBI’s version, instead of making a reasoned independent determination on whether a chargesheet was warranted or whether the matter could have been closed. She says this violates the statutory mandate under the Lokpal Act, which requires the body to carefully weigh all material before prosecuting a public servant.
The allegations stem from a complaint by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who has accused Moitra of receiving cash and luxury gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for raising parliamentary questions on his behalf—particularly targeting the Adani Group. As part of the controversy, Moitra is said to have shared her Parliament login credentials with Hiranandani, who is alleged to have used them to post questions in the Lok Sabha. Moitra has denied taking bribes, though she admitted that Hiranandani or his associates accessed her parliamentary account to draft and submit questions.
The Lokpal, following a detailed inquiry, has directed the CBI to file a chargesheet within four weeks, and has asked for a copy to be deposited in its own registry for its continuing scrutiny. In response, Moitra has sought interim relief from the High Court, asking for a stay on the sanction order and for CBI to be restrained from proceeding with the prosecution until the court rules on the legality of the sanction.
Moitra has also pressed for confidentiality in the case, raising concerns that the report submitted by the CBI to the Lokpal was leaked to the media. She has urged the court to mandate strict secrecy, citing statutory provisions of the Lokpal Act that require protection of the identity of parties and integrity of the inquiry process. The High Court has already directed all parties, including the CBI and Lokpal, to maintain confidentiality in accordance with those rules.
Through her petition, Moitra seeks quashing of the sanction order, arguing that the Lokpal acted arbitrarily and failed to uphold procedural fairness. She claims that by ignoring her submissions without adequate deliberation, the Lokpal has bypassed its duty to make a balanced decision, thereby infringing her rights under the Lokpal Act and the principles of natural justice.
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