High Court Sets Aside Lokpal's Sanction Against Mahua Moitra in Cash-for-Query Scandal

The Delhi High Court invalidated a Lokpal order allowing the CBI to file a chargesheet against MP Mahua Moitra in a cash-for-query scam. The court found the Lokpal's procedures inconsistent with the statute. Moitra allegedly accepted bribes for parliamentary questions. The Lokpal must now reconsider the sanction within legal confines.

In a significant relief for Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, the Delhi High Court on Friday annulled a Lokpal order that permitted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to proceed with a chargesheet against her in the alleged cash-for-query scam.

The court criticized the Lokpal for deviating from the procedures mandated by the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, highlighting that its method amounted to statutory innovation inconsistent with the act's intent and provisions.

The judgement requires the Lokpal to review the sanction in strict adherence to Section 20 of the Lokpal Act within a month, aiming to rectify the procedural discrepancies identified in the investigation concerning allegations against Moitra.

(With inputs from agencies.)