New Delhi, August 7: The Supreme Court denied a petition from Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Friday. She sought permission to appear via video conferencing before the investigating officer (IO) in a case related to allegedly inciting violence, instead of attending in person.
A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Dutta and Shil Nagoo raised questions regarding Moitra’s request, indicating that she must cooperate personally in the investigation.
During the hearing, senior advocate Gopal Shankaranarayanan, representing Moitra, stated that while his client had no objections to participating in the investigation, she preferred to do so through video conferencing. Justice Dutta questioned, “Why virtually? Just because you are an MP?”
In response, the senior advocate argued that Moitra feared a mob attack if she appeared in person at the police station. He referenced a past incident where she was reportedly pelted with eggs. However, the Supreme Court was not satisfied with this argument. The bench remarked, “You are an MP? After entering politics, you fear eggs? Our freedom fighters faced bullets on their chests. Such petitions should not come before this court.”
Following these comments, Moitra’s senior advocate requested permission to withdraw the petition. The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed the petition as withdrawn.
Previously, the Supreme Court had granted interim relief to Moitra in the case related to allegedly inciting violence, imposing a stay on any harsh police action against her, including arrest, until October 5. The court approved this on the condition that Moitra would fully cooperate in the investigation.
The High Court had stated that the police could continue their investigation, but no punitive action would be taken against Moitra during the interim protection period if she cooperated.
During the hearing, the state government informed the High Court that Moitra had received four notices to appear for questioning but failed to do so, citing parliamentary commitments.
Moitra’s counsel argued that she should be allowed to participate in the questioning via video conferencing due to the potential for an unpleasant situation at the police station. The High Court directed the police to ensure that no such situation would arise whenever Moitra attended for questioning.
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