Months after the cash-for-query scam surfaced, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated an inquiry against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, news agency ANI reported citing CBI Sources on 25th November (Saturday). The CBI will probe allegations that she was taking bribes to raise questions in Parliament. The investigation has been initiated at the direction of Lokpal.
CBI initiates inquiry against TMC MP Mahua Moitra to investigate allegations of “bribe for query” for raising questions in Parliament: CBI Sources
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2023
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As per India Today, CBI sources said, “We have initiated an enquiry on orders of Lokpal. We have not registered a Preliminary Enquiry or FIR against Mahua Moitra as yet.”
The CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry. This is the first step in which the probing agency will ascertain if the allegations merit a full-fledged investigation. If the CBI finds enough prima facie material during its preliminary enquiry, it can convert it into an FIR.
According to the media reports, the CBI enquiry has been initiated against Moitra based on a complaint from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. He had accused the TMC leader of taking a bribe from businessman Hiranandani for “asking questions in Parliament”.
Dubey had earlier asserted that Lokpal, on 8th November “ordered a CBI enquiry against accused Mahua Moitra for indulging in corruption at the cost of national security.”
Additionally, the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha is also looking into the allegations against the TMC leader. Evidently, the Ethics Committee in its report recommended that Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra be expelled from Parliament. The Ethics Committee is reported to have recommended Mahua Moitra’s suspension on the grounds of “unethical conduct” jeopardising national security.
The panel’s report stated that she shared her login credentials with unauthorised individuals. The draft revealed that Moitra made multiple trips to UAE, and her account was logged in 47 times from Dubai.
Notably, Moitra has accepted that she had shared credentials with Darshan Hiranandani. Following this development, it was recently reported that PAs of Lok Sabha MPs have lost access to Digital Sansad login.
Meanwhile, it was also reported earlier that Darshan Hiranandani who is also an accused in this alleged scam, turned approver and accepted the allegations. In his affidavit, he said that Moitra gave him her Parliament username and password so he could post questions on her behalf. As reported earlier, the IT ministry had stated that it had sent a report to the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee confirming that the TMC leader’s parliamentary ID was accessed 49 times from Dubai.
