Things Nishikant Dubey says: Now TMC's Mahua Moitra moves Delhi High Court

Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday, 8 May, moved the Delhi High Court against alleged targeting her.

In an interim application, TMC's Moitra urged the court to direct Dubey and Dehadrai to take down the posts.

Justice Manmeet P.S. Arora asked Dubey's counsel to take instructions on whether the BJP MP was willing to deactivate the post for now.

Dubey's counsel has said the post was based on a Lokpal judgement on his complaint against Moitra.

The court said prima facie, Dubey's reliance on the judgement did not support his allegations against Moitra.

“Prima facie, this document does not support your allegations (against Moitra). Until then, you please deactivate this (post),” it said.

The court posted the hearing on 9 May after Dubey's counsel failed to get instructions from the BJP leader.

Moitra claimed being aggrieved by Dubey's Facebook post and a tweet of Dehadrai on X which reproduced the former's post.

The content was related to a CBI case with the Lokpal of India involving Moitra.

His counsel claimed Moitra was continuously referring to Dubey with an objectionable name on social media, which wasn't permissible.

The judge said those aggrieved by abuses could write to the social media intermediary concerned to take down the contentious post or move court for relief.

Moitra filed a fresh plea in her pending defamation suit against Dubey and Dehadrai.

The suit was filed in 2023 over false and defamatory allegations against her that she demanded a bribe for asking questions in Parliament.

Dubey accused Moitra of taking bribes from businessman and Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani for asking questions in Parliament.

Citing a letter he received from advocate Dehadrai, Dubey said the latter shared with him "irrefutable" evidence of bribes allegedly having been paid to the TMC leader by the businessman.

Based on these allegations, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee suggested Moitra's removal from the lower house following which she was expelled on 8 December 2023.

In the suit, Moitra sought to restrain Dubey and Dehadrai from publishing or posting any “false defamatory content” against her on any online or offline platform. She also sought a public apology from them.

On the same day (8 May), the BJP MP was rapped by the Supreme Court for his vitiating remarks against the apex court and the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna.

Edited PTI inputs