Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra actively pursued a hearing date in the Supreme Court on Wednesday for her petition challenging her expulsion from the Lok Sabha. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud assured Moitra that the court would address the request for urgent listing.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Moitra, presented the matter before a bench led by the CJI later in the day, expressing concern that, despite a letter to the court registry on Monday, the issue had not appeared on the list. Singhvi had previously approached Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul with the same request when the CJI was presiding over a Constitution bench. However, he was directed to mention the matter to the CJI, as mentioning matters is not permitted before constitution benches.
CJI Chandrachud explained, \”The matter may not have been registered, as otherwise, it would have been listed.\” Singhvi, accompanied by advocate Shadan Farasat, informed the court that a letter was written to the registry on Monday.
The CJI found it \”inconceivable\” and remarked, \”I check all mails and clear it the same day.\” Although Singhvi agreed to write another letter urging the court for expedited consideration, Moitra’s legal team had not received any communication from the registry. Moitra\’s petition filed on Saturday was not listed in the Supreme Court\’s cases for Thursday.
The Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar was expelled on Friday over cash-for-query charges, alleging \”substantial illegality\” and \”arbitrariness\” by the House’s ethics committee, which recommended the action against her.
Moitra, a first-time member known for her assertive speeches, was expelled over her \”direct involvement\” in cash-for-query charges and \”unethical\” conduct. The Lok Sabha expelled her with a voice vote amid a walkout by Opposition members, adopting an ethics committee report that recommended her expulsion for sharing her login credentials and password with an unauthorized person, its impact on national security, and accepting gifts and possibly cash as \”quid pro quo\” from businessman Darshan Hiranandani.
In her petition, Moitra challenged the disqualification process, pointing out how she was not allowed to defend herself in the House during a discussion on the findings of the ethics committee. The urgency in the matter is evident as only two working days remain before the Supreme Court closes for the winter break after December 15.
