Mahua Moitra vacated official residence by 10 am, there was no evacuation, claims her office
The Delhi High Court had refused to stay the eviction notice issued to the TMC leader asking her to vacate the government bungalow.
Cash-for-query case: Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from Lok Sabha last month, has vacated her government bungalow in the national capital today (January 19) by 10 am, a day after the Delhi High Court refused to stay the eviction notice issued to her.
Mahua staff removed all the belongings from the residence (House number 9B on Telegraph Lane) and after locking the residence the key was handed over to the department.
'No eviction took place'
According to the TMC leader's office, house number 9B Telegraph Lane in New Delhi occupied by Mahua Moitra was vacated before authorities arrived and no eviction took place at all.
"House number 9B Telegraph Lane in New Delhi occupied by Mahua Moitra was fully vacated by 10 am today morning and the possession was handed over by her lawyers to the Directorate of Estates who are inspecting and engaged in due process. The premises were vacated before authorities arrived and no eviction took place at all," said Mahua Moitra's office.
According to the news agency PTI, the Directorate of Estates had sent a team of officials to evict the former TMC MP from her government accommodation. "A team has been sent to evict the TMC leader from the government bungalow allotted to her as an MP," an official told PTI.
Earlier this week, the DoE issued an eviction notice to Moitra to vacant the government bungalow.
Delhi HC refuses to stay DoE notice
On Thursday, the TMC leader failed to get any relief from the Delhi High Court which refused to stay the DoE notice and asked her to vacate the government bungalow.
Justice Girish Kathpalia said no specific rule has been brought before the court which dealt with the eviction of MPs from government accommodation after they cease to be lawmakers.
"To conclude, in view of the pendency of the issue of expulsion of petitioner (Moitra) before the Supreme Court and the issue of extension of time to vacate the government accommodation being inextricably linked with that, coupled with the fact that as on date petitioner has no right, this court is not inclined to invoke jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India at this stage to restrain the operation of the impugned eviction order. Accordingly, the application stands dismissed," the court said in its order.
Mahua Moitra served eviction notice
Trinamool Congress Party leader, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December last year, was issued a fresh notice to vacate her government-allotted accommodation in New Delhi on January 16 by the Directorate of Estates.
This was the third notice served to Moitra by the Directorate of Estate, under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, asking her to vacate her official bungalow.
The TMC leader, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8 last year, was earlier asked to vacate the house by January 7 after her allotment was cancelled. On January 8, the DoE issued a notice seeking her reply within three days as to why she had not vacated her government accommodation. Another notice was also issued to her on January 12.
Moitra was held guilty of "unethical conduct" and expelled from Lok Sabha on December 8 last year for allegedly accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password of the Parliament website with him.
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