CBI initiates probe into cash-for-query allegations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a probe into the cash-for-query allegations against Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament, Mahua Moitra. The investigation comes on the heels of a complaint filed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, accusing Moitra of accepting bribes in exchange for posing specific questions in Parliament.

CBI sources, speaking exclusively to India Today TV, confirmed the initiation of the inquiry, clarifying that no Preliminary Enquiry or FIR has been registered against Moitra at this stage. The probe was reportedly initiated on the orders of the Lokpal following Dubey's complaint.

According to Dubey, the Lokpal issued an order on November 8, directing the CBI to investigate Mahua Moitra for alleged corruption that could compromise national security. The complaint alleges that Moitra received gifts from a businessman, Darshan Hiranandani, in exchange for raising questions in the Lok Sabha targeting the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Moitra, in response to the allegations, took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), stating that neither Lokpal nor the CBI has officially released any information regarding the inquiry. She questioned the absence of any referral order on Lokpal's website, as required by the Lokpal Act.

Earlier this month, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee concluded its investigation into the matter, recommending Moitra's disqualification from the Lower House. The report, which alleges that Moitra shared her Parliament login ID with Hiranandani, has been submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

In her defense, Moitra dismissed the allegations as a "political vendetta" and deemed the Ethics Panel's report as a "badge of honour." She explained that her Parliament ID was used by someone in the Hiranandani office to post questions on her behalf, citing her busy schedule in the constituency. The locations from which Moitra's Parliament ID was accessed include Dubai, New Jersey, United States, and Bengaluru.