On 21st October, it came to light that Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai had voiced concerns about his safety in a letter to Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora. In his letter, he expressed his apprehensions over his safety following the allegations he levelled against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra.
In his letter to the Police Commissioner, Dehadrai said he faced several attempts to coerce him into withdrawing his complaint on 19th October. He further stated there were threats to his reputation if he did not comply with the demands of taking back the complaint. Emphasising the sensitivity of the evidence and materials related to the case, Dehadrai expressed concerns that the other party might attempt to obtain or destroy the material through threats of bodily harm. He further requested the Delhi Police Commissioner to assess the threats and provide him with appropriate protection.
Initially, Dehadrai accused Moitra of taking expensive gifts and cash from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for asking favourable questions in Lok Sabha. In response to his allegations, Moitra has denied the bribery charges and sent a legal notice to Dehadrai and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey, who sided with Dehadrai and demanded a Parliamentary inquiry against Moitra.
In his complaint, Dehadrai pointed towards strange occurrences, including deleted messages and unknown phone calls, leading to his belief that his life could be in danger. The lawyer also alleged that an attempt to barge into his private residence escalated his concerns.
Dehadrai accused Moitra of using her political influence to intimidate the opponents. He said that she attempted to take away his pet dog, Henry (Rottweiler), from him by filing false police complaints and pressurising the Station House Officer to force him to give up his pet. The battle over the dog’s custody has turned into legal disputes and complaints against each other. Moitra has described Dehadrai as a “jilted ex” with a vendetta against her.
In his complaint to the commissioner, Dehadrai said, “Based on these two fake complaints, she pressurised Mahavir Singh, SHO of the Barakhamba Road Police Station, who then acted under her direct pressure to somehow or the other browbeat me into giving up the lawful ownership of Henry over to Moitra.” He added that Singh pressured him with eight phone calls and threatened that he had to give up Henry or face prosecution in the complaints filed by Moitra.
He added, “I refused. It is crucial to mention that acting under Moitra’s pressure, he (SHO) deliberately ignored the evidence I provided to him which unequivocally established my legitimate claim over my pet Henry and instead, he forwarded me Moitra’s one-sided agreement.” Furthermore, he said the Barakhamba Road Police Station SHO knows the truth and he must come clean on his role in the matter.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), he said, “A well-wisher has told me that Henry is being kept deliberately locked up inside the Telegraph Lane residence to deter CBI from entering. Henry is a large Rottweiler, and although gentle, but he does possess a strong protective instinct. I am now truly fearful for HIS safety.”
A well-wisher has told me that Henry is being kept deliberately locked up inside the Telegraph Lane residence to deter CBI from entering.
— Jai Anant Dehadrai (@jai_a_dehadrai) October 21, 2023
Henry is a large Rottweiler, and although gentle, but he does possess a strong protective instinct.
I am now truly fearful for HIS safety.
Trinamool Congress stays away from the controversy
Mahua Moitra, who is the firebrand face of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), is facing another challenge as the party has categorically refused to comment on the matter. Distancing from the controversy, a TMC spokesperson said the parties involved were the right persons to comment on the matter.
MahuaGate
On 14th October, the Indian political scene experienced a major tremor as BJP MP Nishkant Dubey wrote to the ethics committee seeking an inquiry against TMC MP Mahua Moitra in the ‘Cash for Query’ matter. He based his complaint on the letter written by Supreme Court lawyer Anant Dehadrai, who alleged that most of the questions asked by the TMC MP in Lok Sabha directly or indirectly benefit businessman Darshan Hiranandani.
Moitra filed a case against Dubey and Dehadrai but never denied accepting gifts. Interestingly, she has also been accused of sharing her Lok Sabha credentials with Hiranandani so he can post questions independently. Hiranandani has reportedly turned approver in the case and submitted an affidavit suggesting the allegations against Moitra are true. Dehadrai and Dubey were called to submit evidence of Moitra’s alleged wrongdoings in front of the ethics committee on 26th October.
