“Attempts made to coerce me into withdrawing my CBI complaint”: Advocate Dehadrai on ‘Cash for Query’ scandal

New Delhi [India]: In another twist in the alleged ‘Cash for Query’ scandal, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai on Friday alleged that attempts were made towards him to withdraw his complaint registered at the Central Bureau of Investigation.

According to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s complaint to the Parliament Ethics Committee, Advocate Dehadrai had provided him proof of TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s involvement in the alleged ‘Cash for Query’ scandal.

In a post on X, Advocate Dehadrai alleged, “An attempt was made yesterday afternoon, to coerce me into withdrawing my CBI complaint and letter to Nishikant Dubey, in exchange for Henry (his dog).”

“…I flatly refused – will give details to CBI. Messenger is totally innocent – but tells you everything about her” the Advocate went on to say in what appears to be a dig at TMC MP Mahua Moitra against whom the allegations of ‘Cash for Query’ have been made.

Reacting to the post of Advocate Dehadrai, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who registered a complaint with the Ethics Committee of Parliament and has been called on October 26 alongside Dehadrai to submit oral evidence before the Ethics panel posted on X” The building standing on a wall of sand is falling with a thud, your fight is to save the dignity of the Parliament, this difficult fight is not against Mahua, this fight is to save the soul of Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Constitution, i.e. the voice of the poor, the Parliament whom some people are trying to sell.”

Targeting Mahua Moitra further, the BJP MP posted, “It has nothing to do with politics, the MP of the party whose leader wears only saree and slippers, forcefully appeals to her friends for LV, GUCCI and then rakes up Bengali culture. My aunt, was the queen of Bengal and so I am aware of Bengali culture. This woman is also abusing the people of Bengal. There is no compromise with corruption.”

Earlier businessman, Darshan Hiranandani, who was allegedly behind the said payoffs in the ‘Cash for Query’ scandal responded in a 3-page affidavit and claimed that the Mahua Moitra saw attacking the Adani group as a route to fame. Hiranandani further claimed that Mahua Moitra did share her Parliament Login credentials with him.

Questioning the credibility of Hiranandani’s affidavit, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said,” “The affidavit is on white paper, and not an official letterhead or notarized. Why would one of India’s most respected/educated businessmen sign a letter like this on white paper unless a gun was put on his head to do it?”

“The contents of the letter are a joke. It has clearly been drafted by some half-wit in the PMO who doubles up as a creative writer in the BJP’s IT cell. It sings paeans to Modi and Gautam Adani while linking every opponent of theirs to me and my alleged corruption,” Moitra alleged.

Claiming that Businessman Hiranandani was “compelled” to sign the letter, Moitra said, “The PMO held a proverbial gun to Darshan and his father’s heads and gave them 20 minutes to sign this letter sent to them.

They were threatened with a total shutdown of all their businesses. They were told they would be finished, the CBI would raid them and all government business would stop and all PSU bank financing would be stopped immediately.”

Earlier Nishikant Dubey in his letter titled “Re-emergence of nasty ‘Cash for Query’ in Parliament” has alleged “‘serious Breach of Privilege’, ‘Contempt of the House’ and a ‘Criminal Offence’ under Section 120A of IPC” by the Trinamool Congress MP. Dubey claimed that an Advocate, Jai Anant Dehadrai had provided him proof of bribe exchanges between the TMC MP and businessman Darshan Hiranandani.