Now, ED books Mahua Moitra in cash-for-queries case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case against Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani in connection with an alleged cash-for-queries scam case, official sources said Tuesday.

The federal agency filed the enforcement case information report (ECIR), the ED equivalent of a police first information report (FIR), against the two, taking cognisance of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complaint, the sources said.

The ED case was registered two-three days ago.

It has been probing them under the civil sections of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and has called Moitra and Dubai-based businessman Hiranandani in this case for questioning but they have not disposed till now, citing official engagements.

The CBI had last month conducted searches, after filing its FIR, at the premises of Moitra, a former TMC MP from Krishnanagar seat in West Bengal.

She has been renominated by the Trinamool Congress led by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to contest in the upcoming general elections.

The CBI registered an FIR against her and Hiranandani on the directives of Lokpal which has instructed the agency to file its report within six months, CBI officials had said.

Lok Sabha had expelled Moitra last December for 'unethical conduct'.

The former MP has challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court.

The Lokpal has issued the directions to the CBI after receiving findings of its preliminary inquiry into allegations made by Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey against Moitra.

He has alleged that Moitra had asked questions in Lok Sabha in exchange for cash and gifts from Hiranandani to mount an attack on industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others.