Cash-for-query row: CBI registers preliminary enquiry against Mahua Moitra

The Central Bureau of Investigation has initiated an investigation against TMC MP Mahua Moitra to look into 'quid pro quo' allegations of raising questions in Parliament, sources said on Saturday.

In this regard, a senior CBI official said that no Preliminary Enquiry (PE) has been registered however an investigation has been initiated as the matter was referred by the anti-corruption body Lokpal.

"We are enquiring into the matter that was sent to us by Lokpal. We have yet to gather more details into the matter," the CBI official told ANI.

Mahua Moitra is facing the heat of the "cash-for-query" allegations against her. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee has recently recommended her expulsion from the Lower House.

Lok Sabha Ethics Committee which investigated the cash-for-query allegations and adopted the report against Moitra with a 6:4 majority recommending the expulsion of the TMC member.

Moitra had appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on November 2 over the cash-for-query allegations against her. Along with opposition members of the panel, she "walked out" of the meeting on Thursday. Opposition members raised questions over the line of questioning and alleged that "personal questions" were posed to the Trinamool Congress MP.

BSP MP Danish Ali, Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav, and Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy were among those who "walked out" of the meeting. Moitra alleged that she was subjected to humiliating personal questions from the panel.

In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Moitra stated that "unethical, sordid, prejudiced behaviour was meted out" to her during the meeting.

Earlier Nishikant Dubey had earlier approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against Moitra, accusing her of asking questions in Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts.

The Ethics Committee had sought details reports from Information Technology (IT) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding IP address and location.

The committee had also sought MHA's input on the dangers of sharing login credentials, emphasizing the legal consequences under Section IT ACT 2000.

The draft report is learnt to have suggested that "serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra calls for severe punishment".

The report of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee is now with speaker Om Birla who will take a final decision on the fate of the Trinamool MP.