Delhi HC Dismisses Mahua Moitra's Petition After BJP MP Dubey Removes Post

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court closed a case after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey removed his alleged defamatory social media post against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora disposed of Moitra's interim plea after Dubey's counsel informed the court that the contentious Facebook post was removed. Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, who had also posted a tweet against Moitra on social media, appeared before the court and assured of taking down the post from his X handle.

"Because defendant 1 (Dubey) has already removed another post from Facebook, and that defendant 2 (Dehadrai) has undertaken to remove the impugned post from X, the relief sought in this application does not survive for consideration. The application is hereby disposed of," the court said in its order.

Moitra claimed to be aggrieved by Dubey's post on Facebook and a tweet of Dehadrai on X with the screenshot of Dubey's post. The content was related to a CBI case involving Moitra with the Lokpal. Dubey's counsel said the post was based on a judgment of the Lokpal on his complaint against Moitra.

His counsel contended that Moitra had provoked the BJP leader by using derogatory words and phrases with innuendos. To this, Moitra's counsel clarified that the objectionable word used in the comment or any part of the plaintiff's post on her social media handles did not relate to Dubey.

The court took her statement on record and said she was bound by the same. The fresh plea was filed by Moitra in her pending defamation case against Dubey and Dehadra in 2023 over false and defamatory allegations against her of demanding bribes for asking questions in Parliament.

Dubey accused Moitra of taking bribes from Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani for asking questions in Parliament. Citing a letter he received from 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 December 8, 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.

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