Delhi HC postpones hearing in Mahua Moitra defamation case to Dec 11

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday postponed the hearing in the defamation case filed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey and Supreme Court (SC) lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai related to the 'cash for query' row. 

Moitra's counsel pointed out that there have been "substantial developments" in the form of social media posts by Nishikant Dubey and Jai Anant Dehadrai. During the course of this hearing, the court took up the legal issue of amending the petition without permission from the court to do so.

The counsel also said that these remarks should be included in the plea, India Today reported. The matter will now be heard on December 11 as the High Court allowed Mahua Moitra's counsel to file an amended petition in the case.

Mahua Moitra had filed a defamation case against Dubey, Jai Anant Dehadrai and various media houses over false allegations that she took bribes to ask questions in Parliament. In this plea, Moitra had sought the Delhi HC's directions to restrain Dubey, Dehadrai and several media outlets and houses from posting, circulating or publishing any fake and defamatory content against her.

She also clearly denied the allegations levelled by Dubey and Dehadrai and claimed they were aimed at damaging her reputation. The case was heard on October 31 when Moitra decided to drop the names of media houses from her defamation suit. 

She had sought permission to file a new list of defendants which comprised only Nishikant Dubey and Dehadrai. The Delhi HC had asked Dubey and Dehadrai to submit a response and listed the case for hearing on December 5. 

Moitra filed the defamation suit against the BJP MP and Jai Anant Dehadrai after they alleged that the TMC MP took cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions about the Adani conglomerate. They also said that Moitra allegedly did so to malign the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The TMC MP has often accused the Adani Group of malpractices and manipulating stock prices, moreso after US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research's critical report against the conglomerate. 

(With inputs from Aneesha Mathur, Sanjay Sharma)

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