Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated a money laundering investigation against senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra, stemming from the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) probe into the cash-for-query scandal, as per sources on Tuesday. The ED’s action follows the FIR lodged by the CBI regarding irregularities in the cash-for-query case against Moitra, a former investment banker. This development occurred shortly after Moitra, along with businessman Darshan Hiranandani, rebuffed an ED summons related to alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Moitra faced allegations from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, which she refuted, prompting the Lokpal, the anti-corruption watchdog, to order a CBI raid at her residence in connection with the cash-for-query controversy. Moitra, renowned for her outspokenness and impassioned debates, was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December last year following a parliamentary Ethics Committee’s findings holding her responsible for accepting gifts and illicit gratification.
Expressing concerns, Moitra accused the BJP of orchestrating a campaign to tarnish her image ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleging the misuse of investigative agencies like the CBI and the ED. Despite lodging a complaint with the Election Commission, she doubted any consequential action from the poll panel. Renominated by the TMC from the Krishnanagar constituency, Moitra criticized the ED and the CBI, labeling them as political instruments of the saffron party. While the cash-for-query episode curtailed her initial parliamentary tenure, it bolstered her standing within the TMC and the broader opposition, earning unwavering support from party leaders.
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