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Lokpal Orders CBI Inquiry Against Mahua Moitra After TMC MP Questioned Ethics Committee's Authority To Probe Criminality
Nishtha Anushree
Nov 08, 2023, 05:03 PM | Updated 05:03 PM IST
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The Lokpal, an anti-corruption body, has issued an order for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate corruption allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. This information was disclosed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on X.
BJP MP's post in Hindi says, "Today Lokpal has ordered a CBI inquiry into accused MP Mahua Moitra's corruption, which poses a threat to national security, based on my complaint."
Notably, the TMC MP had expressed last week that the Lok Sabha ethics committee lacks the authority to investigate allegations of criminality in the cash-for-query controversy.
Moitra stressed that parliamentary ethics committees are not the appropriate forums to examine allegations of criminality, as they lack criminal jurisdiction and investigative mandates.
She emphasised that law enforcement agencies should handle investigations into alleged criminal activities.
Dubey has accused Moitra of accepting cash from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for posing questions in parliament to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business rival Adani Group.
He further alleges that Moitra compromised national security by sharing her parliamentary login credentials with the businessman.
Dubey had previously written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging the immediate suspension of Moitra from parliament.
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Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.
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