CBI completes probe in cash-for-query case, submits Mahua Moitra report to Lokpal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has submitted its findings to the Lokpal in the alleged cash-for-query scam case involving Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani, officials told news agency PTI on Monday.

The CBI registered a formal case on March 21, 2023, following a reference from the Lokpal, invoking provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The agency has now completed its investigation and turned over the report to the anti-corruption ombudsman, which will determine the next steps in the matter.

The allegations, first raised by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, claim Moitra received bribes and other undue favours from Hiranandani in exchange for using her parliamentary position to target political and corporate figures. Specifically, she was accused of sharing her official Lok Sabha login credentials with the businessman, thereby compromising her parliamentary privileges and potentially threatening national security.

These claims led the Lokpal to order a CBI inquiry, after which the FIR was lodged naming both Moitra and Hiranandani. Officials said the findings submitted by the CBI will guide the Lokpal's decision on whether to escalate the case to a formal prosecution or recommend other legal or parliamentary actions.

Moitra, who represented Krishnanagar in the Lok Sabha, was expelled from Parliament in December 2023 for “unethical conduct” related to the same case. She has since challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court. Despite the controversy, she successfully contested the 2024 general election, defeating BJP candidate Amrita Roy and securing her return to the Lok Sabha.

The Lokpal’s involvement stems from its mandate to investigate corruption complaints against public functionaries. In this case, it acted on the basis of Dubey’s complaint, which alleged that Moitra accepted cash and luxury items to pose parliamentary questions aimed at business tycoon Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others.