Delhi High Court Issues Summons To TMC Leader Mahua Moitra In Defamation Suit By Lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued summons to Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra in the defamation suit filed by lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai for allegedly making defamatory statements against him on social media as well as print and electronic media.

Justice Prateek Jalan also issued summons to five media houses (CNN News 18, India Today, Gulf News, The Telegraph and The Guardian) as well as social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Google LLC.

The court further sought Moitra's response on Dehadrai's application seeking interim relief in the suit and listed the matter for further hearing on April 08. 

Dehadrai has sought Rs. 2 crores damages from Moitra. He has alleged that Moitra has called her “jobless” and “jilted.”

The suit also seeks to restrain Moitra from publishing any allegedly defamatory material against Dehadrai on social media.

A direction is sought upon the media houses and social media platforms to take down the defamatory contents from the internet and social media platforms against Dehadrai.

During the hearing today, Advocate Raghav Awasthi appearing for Dehadrai did not seek any ad-interim orders at this stage. The same will be pressed on the next date of hearing.

Awasthi submitted that the urgency in the matter was that Dehadrai was losing his business as a lawyer due to the allegedly defamatory statements made by Moitra.

He further said that there are judgments to the effect that a defamation suit can be filed weeks or even months after the alleged defamation has occurred.

“In this case, it is your doing as much as anybody else's. It is very difficult to paint yourself as a victim. In case of this nature, both are warring parties. You're neither a victim nor a perpetrator. The fact that your name will come up in this issue in google search is really….,” Justice Jalan orally told Awasthi.

The judge was also of the view that in “case of this nature”, half the battle is fought in court and half elsewhere.

The court was informed that Moitra's defamation suit against Dehadrai is also pending before a coordinate bench. Accordingly, Justice Jalan ordered that the matter be placed before the judge in charge for appropriate directions as to whether Dehadrai's suit be placed before the same bench which is adjudicating Moitra's suit.

It is Dehadrai's case that the only reason for filing the complaint against Moitra was a concern to report an incident, which according to him, was a “serious breach of national security” and “instances of corruption” by someone who occupied a high office and was a public servant.

However, as per the suit, Moitra portrayed Dehadrai to be a “revengeful ex-partner” who wanted to settle scores with her for an unsuccessful relationship.

Dehadrai has alleged that Moitra's statements have lowered his esteem in the eyes of his family members, friends and colleagues in the legal profession.

The suit states that many of Dehadrai's existing and prospective clients are calling him and telling him that they do not want him to continue as their lawyer as he is a “revengeful person” who has defamed his ex-partner only with a view to settle scores over a bitter past relationship.

About the Controversy

49-year-old Moitra was expelled as a Lok Sabha MP on December 08 last year, following the Ethics panel's determination of her guilt in connection with the “cash for query” allegations.

Moitra has been accused of receiving cash in exchange for posing questions on behalf of businessman and friend Darshan Hiranandani. In an interview with The Indian Express, she had accepted the fact that she had provided her Parliament login and password details to Hiranandani, however, she had refuted the claim of receiving any cash from him.

Before her expulsion last year, Moitra filed a defamation suit against Dehadrai and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. Recently, a coordinate bench denied interim relief to her by dismissing her plea for interim injunction.

The court had refused to restrain Dubey and Dehadrai from posting allegedly defamatory content against Moitra on social media.

The court had observed that prima facie, it cannot be said that the allegations in the communications addressed by Dubey and Dehadrai against Moitra are false, unsubstantiated or made with reckless disregard towards the truth.

The dispute arose after Dubey wrote a complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker alleging that Moitra purportedly took bribes to ask questions in the Parliament. Dubey claimed that the genesis of the said allegations was a letter addressed to him by Dehadrai.

Moitra then sent a legal notice to Dubey, Dehadrai and media houses wherein she denied the allegations made against her.

Title: JAI ANANT DEHADRAI v. MAHUA MOITRA & ORS.