After Supreme Court (SC) lawyer and complainant Jai Anant Dehadrai, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to call businessman Darshan Hiranandani to record his statement in the cash for query case related to Mahua Moitra, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader who was expelled from the Lok Sabha last month.
Dehadrai has been asked to appear before anti-corruption wing of the CBI on Thursday afternoon, while Hiranandani could be called next week.
Senior officials told CNN-News18 that both Dehadrai and Hiranandani will be asked to substantiate their claims of corruption against Moitra. “The CBI has been asked by Lokpal to examine the charge of criminality. If any quid pro quo has happened, it has to be established. If money exchanged hands, the testimony of the complainant and the prime witness are key in this regard,” a senior functionary aware of the probe told CNN-News18.
Officials said his statement can be recorded via video-conferencing, too, if he expresses his inability to depose in person.
Moitra had accepted before the parliamentary ethics committee that she had shared her MP login and password with Hiranandani, whom she referred to as a friend. Moitra also accepted that she received gifts from Hiranandani, but no cash was exchanged. Hiranandani, in his testimony to the ethics committee, also said Moitra provided her login credentials, so that the businessman “could post questions directly on her behalf when required”.
ETHICS COMMITTEE REPORT GIVEN TO CBI
The CBI has received a copy of the ethics committee report against Moitra. The agency had sought a copy of the report from Lok Sabha secretariat after it was asked to examine criminality complaints against Moitra. Probe officials said that the ethics committee report is being examined.
Sources indicated that Moitra could be summoned by the CBI, after it recorded the statement of Dehadrai and Hiranandani. The ethics committee report, annexures and evidence cited could form the basis of the CBI’s questions to Dehadrai, Hiranandani and Moitra.
REPORT LIKELY NEXT MONTH
Government officials said that CBI is aiming to complete its inquiry against Moitra by next month. “The report could be submitted to Lokpal by mid-February,” a senior officer said.
He explained that as the reference has been received from the Lokpal, the CBI will submit its preliminary inquiry report to the anti-corruption watchdog and the decision to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) will be left to the Lokpal.
An FIR could be registered, if the Lokpal, after perusing the CBI’s preliminary inquiry report, feels that a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act is made out. Officials said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also watching the CBI’s probe closely. “If a case under Act is made out, the ED could examine allegations of money laundering,” an officer dealing with ED said.
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