NEW DELHI, Jan 4
The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked expelled Lok Sabha member and TMC leader Mahua Moitra to approach the Directorate of Estates for permission to continue the occupation of the government-allotted accommodation.
Justice Subramoniun Prasad noted that the rules permitted the authorities to permit overstay of a resident for a certain time period in exceptional circumstances. “Move a representation before the Directorate of Estates and action will be taken in accordance with the law,” the judge said. The court allowed Moitra to withdraw the present petition while observing that the law mandated providing notice to a resident before her eviction from a premises. “Needless to say that the government will take steps to evict the petitioner in accordance with law,” added the court. In her petition, Moitra urged that the Directorate of Estates’ December 11 order be set aside or, in the alternative, she be allowed to retain possession of the accommodation till the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are declared. Moitra was held guilty of “unethical conduct” and expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8, 2023 for allegedly accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password of the Parliament website with him. She has already challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court after the Lok Sabha adopted the report of its ethics committee recommending her ouster.
