images

Mahua Moitra Responds to Center’s Eviction Notice, Warning Against “Use of Force”

Mahua Moitra Case: The action was taken more than a month after Mahua Moitra was dismissed from the Lok Sabha for unethical behaviour.

New Delhi: Mahua Moitra, the leader of the Trinamool Congress, is scheduled to appear before the Delhi High Court today to contest a notice that demands her to leave the government house she was given as an MP and threatens to “use force” if necessary, NDTV has learned from sources.

The leader of Trinamool, who was removed from office as a Lok Sabha MP last month due to unethical behaviour, would soon file a writ suit in the court of Justice Manmohan challenging the eviction notice.

According to Ms. Moitra’s solicitors, she is running for the Lok Sabha elections. From the final day of the Parliament session preceding a general election until the day of results, MPs are permitted to remain in their residences, they have stated. They have contended that since Ms. Moitra has been listed as a candidate, this ought to also apply to her.

The Centre has sent Ms. Moitra an eviction notice with severe language asking her to leave the cottage right away. The Directorate of Estates, which oversees government assets, has sent out a letter stating that Ms. Moitra and any other occupants “are liable to be evicted from the said premises, if need be, by the use of such force as may be necessary” if she does not leave on her own.

Ms. Moitra was “allowed sufficient opportunity,” according to the government’s notification, but she was unable to provide evidence that she is not an unauthorised occupant.

Ms. Moitra had previously filed an appeal with the top court. She was then instructed by the court to seek the Directorate of Estates for permission to temporarily occupy the bungalow. The court had observed that in certain extraordinary cases, regulations allowed authorities to grant a resident a six-month overstay in exchange for payment of specific fees.

However, the court let Ms. Moitra to withdraw her petition without commenting on the case’s merits.

According to the eviction order, Ms. Moitra will have to pay damages for each month if she chooses to contest the eviction notice in court.

Ms. Moitra lives in a home on Telegraph Lane in Delhi. Days after being removed from office as an MP, on December 11, Ms. Moitra received a letter from the Directorate of Estates asking her to leave the property by January 7.

Prior to this year’s Lok Sabha elections, Ms. Moitra had requested more time. She had claimed that her campaign will be hampered by the current loss of government housing.

In December, Ms. Moitra was dismissed from her position as a Lok Sabha member after a parliamentary panel found her guilty of unethical behaviour for taking lavish gifts from a businessman and giving him access to her Parliament login credentials.