Delhi High Court rejects TMC leader Mahua Moitra's plea on information leak in ED probe

Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December 2023 due to the 'cash-for-query' case, had also requested a restraint on 19 media houses from publishing unverified and derogatory content related to the ongoing investigation.

The Delhi High Court on Friday (February 23) rejected the plea filed by Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, seeking to prevent the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from leaking confidential or unverified information to the media regarding the investigation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).

Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December 2023 due to the 'cash-for-query' case, had also requested a restraint on 19 media houses from publishing unverified and derogatory content related to the ongoing investigation.

Senior Advocate Rebecca John, representing Moitra, argued that the leakage of sensitive information to the media before it is officially communicated to her is prejudicial to her rights protected under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

On the other hand, the ED denied the allegations, stating that it had not released any press release or leaked information to the media regarding the investigation.

The plea aimed to direct media houses to align their news reporting and publication with the official press releases issued by the ED regarding the FEMA investigation against Moitra.

Additionally, Moitra prayed that, during the pendency of the plea, the ED and media houses be restrained from leaking, publishing, or broadcasting any information related to the ongoing FEMA investigation. The court's decision underscores the complexities surrounding the interface between legal proceedings and media reporting in high-profile cases.