'Peace offering': Jai Dehadrai withdraws defamation case against Mahua Moitra

Lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai on Thursday (April 25) withdrew from the Delhi High Court his defamation lawsuit against former partner TMC leader Mahua Moitra as a “peace offering”.

Dehadrai had last year accused Moitra of taking bribes from businessman and Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in Parliament, which led to her expulsion from the Lok Sabha on December 8.

Following the row, Mahua filed a case against Dehadrai and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey to restrain them from posting, circulating or publishing any "fake" and "defamatory" content against her.

Sought damages of Rs 2 crore

Earlier this year, Dehadrai also moved the present lawsuit seeking damages of Rs 2 crore from the former lawmaker claiming that after he filed a complaint with the CBI over Moitra receiving illegal gratification for illegally providing her Lok Sabha login credentials to a third party, she "embarked on a ceaseless campaign of slander and abuse" to disseminate "false, abusive, and defamatory statements '' against him.

On Thursday, Dahadrai's counsel suggested that the present case could be put to an end if Moitra was willing to "de-escalate" by undertaking that she would not make "palpably false" statements.

Maintaining that judicial time is "best not spent" on such disputes that can be resolved between the parties, Justice Prateek Jalan said, "If this is something that can stop the crossfire, it is a welcome suggestion."

"Maybe personal allegations on both sides can be taken out of the public domain. If there is some possibility of arriving at an agreed protocol of behaviour..," the judge said as he noted that there were several cases pending in the high court in relation to the dispute between the parties.

Unconditional withdrawal

Dehadrai, who was present in court, subsequently said he would unconditionally withdraw the lawsuit. "I am willing to withdraw. I will withdraw as a peace offering," his advocate Raghav Awasthi said.

Permitting Dehadrai to withdraw, the court ordered, "The suit is dismissed as withdrawn".

In the lawsuit filed through lawyer Mukesh Sharma, Dehadrai had said Moitra's statements lowered his esteem in the eyes of friends, family and colleagues as they portrayed him as a "person who has become bitter due to a failed personal relationship and is now filing false complaints to take revenge for the said reason".

BJD MP Pinaki Misra has also filed a lawsuit against Dehadrai over his allegedly defamatory tweets and statements against him in relation to the cash-for-query row.

(With agency inputs)