As the 'Cash for Query' scandal targetting Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra blows up, the firebrand leader from West Bengal is often heard mentioning a "jilted ex" in her comments on social media platform X.
On Friday too, in her response to the Hiranandani affidavit reports, Mahua Moitra mentioned a "jilted ex". "Jai Dehadrai is not some "Supreme Court" lawyer who has done painstaking research on me. He is a jilted ex with an acrimonious personal history with me who wanted to somehow get back at me," she said in the post.
Soon after her response, Dehadrai, the said lawyer, took to X, in an apparent swipe at Moitra, saying there were attempts to coerce him to withdraw the complaint he registered before the CBI. In a post on X, Advocate Dehadrai alleged, "An attempt was made yesterday afternoon, to coerce me into withdrawing my cbi complaint and letter to @nishikant_dubey in exchange for Henry. I flatly refused - will give details to CBI. Messenger is totally innocent - but tells you everything about her."
Incidentally, Dehadrai is someone with whom Moitra had a strong personal relationship. The lawyer is the estranged partner of Moitra and had a bitter fallout with the MP after their breakup. Moitra and Dehadrai's ongoing tussle revolves around the custody of their pet Rottweiler, Henry.
Moitra, in the last six months, had filed multiple police complaints against Dehadrai for alleged criminal trespass, theft, vulgar messages and abuse, as per Trinamool sources who were quoted by news agency PTI.
Dehadrai is a litigator at Trial Courts, Delhi High Court, NCLAT and the Supreme Court of India with a specialisation in white-collar criminal matters, according to his LinkedIn page.
Besides being a published author, he is also a visiting faculty of International Criminal Law at Bennett University of Law. Dehadrai has also represented various domestic and foreign clients, including MNCs, banks, PSUs, central and state governments, ministries and departments before the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court and other courts and tribunals.
The 'Cash for Query' scandal broke last Sunday after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Moitra of taking "bribes" from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in Parliament. Dubey urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to constitute an "inquiry committee" to look into the charges against her. The BJP MP also claimed he received a letter from a "lawyer who shared irrefutable evidence of bribes" exchanged between the MP and Hiranandani.
Moitra immediately took to X to mention the "jilted ex" in her post, in a swipe on Dehadrai. In response to a letter from Adani Group referring to Dehadrai's complaint, Moitra posted a series of comments on X and said, "Mr A - this lame statement your best efforts? Falling back on Fake Degree MP & a jilted ex's lies? I won't rest till the ED and CBI investigate and freeze Rs. 13,000 crore coal scam you have stolen from Indians. I'm told even Hon'ble Narendra Modi is sick of you & your frauds."