Cash-for-query case: Mahua Moitra asked to appear before ED on February 19

The Enforcement Directorate on 15 February issued a summons to Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra and asked her to appear before the agency on February 19 in an alleged cash-for-query case, reported PTI citing sources.  

Her statement will be recorded under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) once she deposes, they said.

Apart from this, the 49-year-old politician is being probed by the CBI too and it is conducting a preliminary inquiry into the allegations against Moitra on the reference from the Lokpal.

Meanwhile, Moitra has sent her response to a questionnaire by the CBI on allegations of corruption in raising questions in the house, officials said Thursday.

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The CBI is examining the response after which it will send a report to anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal which had referred the matter to the agency, they said.

The CBI is also understood to have spoken to lawyer Jai Dehadrai and businessman Darshan Hiranandani in connection with its inquiry, they said.

Earlier, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had accused Moitra of asking questions in the Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts.

He had also accused Moitra of compromising national security for monetary gains.

Following this, Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha over the issue in December.

The TMC leader has denied any wrongdoing and claimed she was being targeted as she had raised questions on the deals of the Adani Group.

"Neither has Lok Pal uploaded any referral order on the website as per the Lokpal Act & nor has CBI put out anything official. 'Sources' telling journos as per usual media circus. Hope ₹13,000 crore Adani coal scam merits CBI PE before my witchhunt," Moitra had said on X in November.

With agency inputs.