Supreme Court defers Mahua Moitra's appeal challenging her expulsion, new date set for January 3

The Supreme Court on Friday postponed the hearing on the legal challenge brought by Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra against her expulsion from parliament in connection to the “cash-for-query” allegations flagged against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. The Supreme Court stated that more time was needed to conduct a comprehensive review. The new scheduled date for the hearing is January 3.

The Krishnanagar MP faced expulsion on December 8 following allegations of her alleged involvement in the cash-for-query scam, after being accused of “unethical conduct”. In response, Moitra criticized the parliamentary ethics committee, which examined the cash-for-query accusations and recommended her removal, accusing them of violating every rule. "I am 49 years old; I will fight you for the next 30 years, inside parliament, outside parliament, in the gutter, on the street," asserted Mahua Moitra, after she was denied the right to speak inside the Parliament.

The ethics committee submitted its report to parliament on December 8, recommending the TMC MP’s expulsion after cross-examining Jai Anant Dehadrai and BJP leader Nishikant Dubey. Mahua Moitra also deposed before the Parliamentary body but she stormed out of the room after alleging that she was asked “inappropriate questions.”

On Friday, a bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna heard her case, and the court determined that more time was necessary for a thorough examination of the case file. This development followed attempts by Moitra's counsel, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, to expedite the hearing, with Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud assuring that the court would consider the request for urgent listing.

In September, BJP Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, prompted by a complaint from Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehradai. Dehradai alleged that TMC MP Mahua Moitra received monetary benefits and favors from Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for posing questions in Parliament, putting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tight spot. On October 19, in an affidavit submitted to the ethics committee, Darshan Hiranandani asserted that Moitra had shared her login credentials for the Lok Sabha members' website with him; however, the TMC MP stated that the questions posted were written by her, only on her behalf. The CBI has initiated a preliminary FIR in connection with the case.​