Mahua Moitra, Expelled TMC MP, Receives Eviction Notice for Government Bungalow

Mahua Moitra, a former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP who was expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8, 2023, has been served an eviction notice by the Directorate of Estates (DoE) to vacate the government bungalow that she had been allotted as an MP. The notice, issued on January 16, 2024, states that if Ms Moitra does not vacate the premises on her own, she and any other occupant “are liable to be evicted from the said premises, if need be, by the use of such force as may be necessary” .

Background

Ms Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha on the grounds of unethical conduct after a parliamentary panel found her guilty of accepting expensive gifts from a businessman named Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her Parliament login credentials with him. The panel had recommended her expulsion in November 2023, and the Speaker had accepted the recommendation in December 2023 .

Legal Battle

Ms Moitra had challenged the expulsion order in the Delhi High Court, claiming that it was arbitrary and violated her right to natural justice. She had also sought to retain her government accommodation till the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for later this year. She had argued that losing her bungalow now would hinder her campaign and cause hardship to her staff and security personnel .

However, the Delhi High Court had asked Ms Moitra to approach the DoE with a request to allow her to continue to occupy the government accommodation for some time. The court had noted that the rules permitted the authorities to allow a resident to overstay for up to six months on payment of certain charges in exceptional circumstances. The court had also said that the DoE shall decide her case after applying its own mind and that there was no injunction order barring the eviction proceedings .

Current Status

The DoE had issued a notice to Ms Moitra on January 8, 2024, 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, 2024. The DoE said that Ms Moitra had been “allowed sufficient opportunity” but she failed to prove that she is not an unauthorised occupant .

The eviction notice issued on January 16, 2024, also says that if Ms Moitra decides to challenge the eviction notice in any court, she shall be liable to pay damages for every month. Ms Moitra occupies a bungalow in Delhi’s Telegraph Lane. Her allotment of the government accommodation was cancelled on January 7, 2024 .