ED Summons TMC Leader Mahua Moitra In Fema Case, Darshan Hiranandani To Be Quizzed Too

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday issued third summons to Trinamool Congress leader and former Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday in connection with irregularities in a foreign exchange contravention case. The central agency has asked the former Krishnanagar MP to join the probe on March 28 in Delhi. Businessman Darshan Hiranandani has also been summoned in connection with the case. 

Earlier the enforcement agency had sent her a summons on March 4 in connection with the case and asked her to appear before it for questioning on March 11. 

The TMC leader had asked for a few more weeks to join the investigation and conveyed her inability to depose before the agency last month.

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Moitra is being summoned by the federal probe agency to record her statement under the provisions of  the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) once she deposes. Transactions linked to a non-resident external (NRE) account are under the ED scanner along with a few other foreign remittances and fund transfers. 

Moitra is already under the scrutiny of the Central Bureau of Investigation which is conducting a preliminary inquiry into allegations against her in the cash-for-query case. The inquiry began based on a reference from the Lokpal following Moitra's expulsion from the Lok Sabha. 

On Saturday, the CBI conducted searches at the premises associated with Moitra in connection with the cash-for-query case. The CBI teams reached her residence in Kolkata and began conducting the raids after informing about the search proceedings.

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Moitra was expelled from the Lower House of the Parliament after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused her of asking questions in Lok Sabha to target the Adani group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts. 

Dubey also alleged that the former parliamentarian compromised national security for monetary gains.