"No eviction, just handover": Mahua Moitra vacates her Delhi residence

TMC leader, Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha last year in connection to the alleged cash-for-query scandal, has vacated her government-allotted residence in Delhi on Friday. Amidst speculations of eviction, her legal team clarified that there she had not been evicted, and her bungalow was formally handed over to the Directorate of Estates.

"House number 9B Telegraph Lane occupied by Ms. Mahua Moitra was fully vacated by 10 am this morning 19/1/2023 and possession handed over by her lawyers to Directorate of Estates who are inspecting and engaged in due process. Premises were vacated before authorities arrived and no “ eviction” took place at all," said Mahua Moitra's counsel Shadan Farasat in a statement.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday rejected Mahua Moitra's plea. The Trinamool Congress leader had contested her eviction and requested a stay on multiple notices from the Directorate of Estates (DoE).

"The petitioner having been allotted the government accommodation incidental to her status as a Member of Parliament and that status having ceased upon her expulsion, which expulsion has not been stayed by the Supreme Court despite hearing afforded to her, presently she has no right to continue in the said government accommodation and accordingly, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, she cannot be granted protection as sought," observed the Delhi High Court.

Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha following the Ethics Committee's report in connection to the alleged cash-for-query scam. Allegations stated that she accepted bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani. The committee had also observed that the Trinamool Congress MP had shared her parliamentary login credentials with Hiranandani, who in turn had posted questions on her behalf. Moitra had denied the bribery accusation, and explained that she had shared the credentials to seek assistance from his staff in typing out her question on the portal.​