Anant Dehadrai withdraws defamation suit against Mahua Moitra, five news outlets

A month after filing the case, advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai has withdrawn his defamation suit against ex-MP and TMC leader Mahua Moitra and five news outlets over the former’s “defamatory statements” against him, Livelaw reported. 

In the suit, Dehadrai had sought damages worth Rs 2 crore from Moitra over her statements alleging he was "jobless" and "jilted". The TMC leader’s statements had come after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey cited evidence provided by Dehadrai to allege that Moitra had taken bribes from a businessman to ask questions in the parliament.

In the previous hearing, the Delhi High Court had said it will allow Moitra to defend herself in public if Dehadrai, her former partner, keeps making allegations publicly. The court had also summoned CNN-News18, India Today, Gulf News, The Telegraph and The Guardian, besides social media companies X and Google for publishing the alleged defamatory statements. 

The court had said no one in the case was a “victim” or a “perpetrator”, describing Moita and Dehadrai as “warring parties”.

The cash-for-query controversy intensified as a parliamentary probe was launched against Moitra in October last year, leading to her expulsion from the Lok Sabha in December. She and Dehadrai also fought a legal battle over the custody of their pet dog. 

But how did it all begin with Dehadrai at its core? Read here.