The Delhi High Court closed Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra’s plea against alleged defamatory posts by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai after being informed that the contested Facebook post had been deleted.
“In light of the fact that defendant No. 1 has already removed another post from Facebook and that defendant No. 2 has undertaken to remove the impugned post from ‘X’, the relief sought in this application does not survive for consideration. The application is hereby disposed of,” said the court.
TMC MP Moitra had filed a defamation suit, contending that the allegations circulated through Dubey’s Facebook post and Dehadrai’s tweet, which included a screenshot of the post, were baseless and harmed her reputation.
The dispute began after Nishikant Dubey lodged a complaint with the Lok Sabha Speaker, accusing Mahua Moitra of allegedly accepting bribes to raise questions in Parliament, claiming that the allegations stemmed from a letter sent to him by lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai.
In response, Moitra issued legal notices to Dubey, Dehadrai, and several media houses, firmly denying the accusations and asserting that she had never accepted any form of remuneration, cash, gift, or benefit in connection with her parliamentary duties.
In his Facebook post, Nishikant Dubey claimed that the CBI had registered a case with the Lokpal concerning Mahua Moitra’s alleged foreign accounts and expenses, and that he had recently received a related letter.
His counsel argued before the court that Dubey’s post was a reaction to a derogatory remark made by Moitra, and requested that she be restrained from referring to him with the innuendo of “pitbull.”
In reply, Moitra’s counsel clarified that neither the term ‘pitbull’ nor any other part of her social media posts referred to Dubey. Taking her statement on record, the Delhi High Court noted that she would be bound by it and, since Moitra had categorically denied the reference, found no need to issue further directions on that matter.
Mahua Moitra sought a court order to restrain Nishikant Dubey, Jai Anant Dehadrai, and various media outlets from publishing or circulating any allegedly false and defamatory content against her on any online or offline platforms.
She also demanded a public apology from Dubey and Dehadrai, to be published in three newspapers each in English, Hindi, and Bengali.
Additionally, as interim relief, Moitra requested an ex parte ad-interim injunction to prevent the defendants from posting or sharing any such content, including photos, videos, letters, and publications, on social media until the disposal of the suit.
