Brought public discourse to 'fairly low level': Delhi HC to Mahua Moitra, Jai Anant Dehadrai

The Delhi High Court on Monday said that Mahua Moitra, Trinamool Congress leader and Lok Sabha candidate from Krishnanagar, and her former partner as well as Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai have brought the public discourse down really low by making allegations against each other. 

The High Court bench led by Justice Prateek Jalan made the remarks while adjourning the hearing in a defamation case filed by Dehadrai against his former partner Mahua Moitra. The Supreme Court lawyer has sought an interim injunction against the expelled Lok Sabha MP for making defamatory statements against him and Rs 2 crore as damages. 

In his plea, Dehadrai said that Mahua Moitra made "false, abusive and defamatory statements" about him after he levelled serious allegations against her that she received cash and gifts from a business in lieu of asking questions in the Lok Sabha. His plea said the TMC leader portrayed him as someone "who has become bitter due to a failed personal relationship and is now filing false complaints to take revenge."

The bench did not pass any orders on Monday on Dehadrai's plea, allowing Moitra to file written statements in response. Commenting on the plea by Dehadrai, the Delhi court said the idea is not to injunct anyone and asked the lawyers of Jai Anant Dehadrai and Mahua Moitra to advise their clients to be careful. 

The top court also said that the "public warfare" between the two does not show either of them in a good light. The court also warned Moitra to be careful and the court can injunct her if she makes "objectively untrue statements." However, the court said that the TMC Lok Sabha candidate from Krishnanagar has the right to defend herself in public if allegations against her are made in public domain. 

The court noted: "She would have to defend herself in public domain if your allegations are being made in public domain."

Warning Dehadrai, the High Court told his counsel, "Mr (Raghav) Awasthi, you will also advise your client to be very careful. If he is going to be a plaintiff in my suit... equities will be balanced in granting an injunction. It is because you are making statements against her in the public domain, it requires her to be given scope to defend."

The court also questioned Dehadrai as to why Mahua Moitra cannot claim that these allegations have been made due to their failed relationship. "Whether your allegations are true or untrue, that will have its own consequences. But when you've made those allegation, she's entitled to give her side on it," the court said. The matter has been listed for hearing on April 25.