On January 3, the Supreme Court responded to Mahua Moitra’s plea, a former Member of Parliament ousted from the Trinamool Congress, challenging her removal from the Lok Sabha.
While refraining from granting interim relief, the court issued a notice and directed the Lok Sabha secretary general to respond to Moitra’s plea within three weeks. The case is slated for a hearing in March.
The apex court acknowledged the petition’s significance but abstained from expressing opinions on its merits. Moitra’s expulsion on December 8, based on the Ethics Committee’s report accusing her of accepting gifts and illegal gratification from a businessman, prompted her legal challenge.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the expulsion lacked proper grounds, emphasizing the absence of provisions for such actions in the code of ethics. The court deemed it necessary to hear the case based on these contentions.