New Delhi: Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who previously raised concerns with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and BJP Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey regarding alleged bribery involving Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, has now expressed serious fears for his personal safety because of the complaint.
In a letter addressed to Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, Dehadrai wrote, "I anticipate a very serious threat to my safety on account of my complaint dated October 14, which I have submitted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and to Nishikant Dubey, MP, against Moitra, M.P., and others."
He claimed that on October 19, there was a direct attempt to coerce him into withdrawing his complaint, with threats of damaging his reputation if he refused to comply. "On October 19, a direct attempt was made to coerce me into withdrawing my complaint. Threats of reputational harm were also conveyed in case I did not agree."
Notably, there was a specific demand for him to "unconditionally withdraw both complaints, which contain grave allegations related to national security and corruption against Moitra and others."
"It was stated that my pet dog, Henry (Rottweiler breed) would be returned by Moitra to me if I agreed to withdraw the said complaints," he said. He voiced his concerns about Moitra's history of using her influence to intimidate her adversaries, stating that his apprehensions were not to be taken lightly.
He further revealed that Moitra had previously attempted to obtain his pet dog, Henry, by lodging fabricated complaints against him with the Barakhamba Road Police Station. According to Dehadrai, these unfounded complaints placed pressure on Mahavir Singh, the SHO of the Barakhamba Road Police Station, who acted under Moitra's influence to force Dehadrai to relinquish ownership of Henry. He maintained evidence of text messages and phone calls in which he was threatened.
Dehadrai asserted that Singh knowingly disregarded the evidence supporting his lawful ownership of Henry and favoured Moitra by forwarding a one-sided agreement. He called on Singh to come clean regarding his role in enabling the alleged theft and unlawful possession of his dog, Henry, by Moitra.
Given the perceived danger associated with Moitra and her associates, Dehadrai expressed concerns about a potential attack on his life. He also noted that he had received suspicious messages from unknown numbers, which had mysteriously vanished.
In addition, he reported an incident where unidentified individuals attempted to enter his private residence. Dehadrai expressed genuine apprehension that certain parties might take harmful actions to prevent him from testifying before the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha on October 26 and before Investigating Agencies.
Dehadrai concluded by requesting a thorough assessment of these threats and appropriate security measures to ensure his safety. In a separate incident, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey recently made serious allegations against Moitra, claiming she had received "cash and gifts" from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for asking questions in Parliament.
Moitra responded by welcoming a CBI investigation and suggested that such an investigation could follow inquiries into other financial matters. Dubey called for an investigation into the IP address of Moitra's Lok Sabha login credentials, alleging actions detrimental to India's national security. Moitra maintained her confidence and readiness to face CBI inquiries and the Parliament's Ethics Committee, dismissing Hiranandani's affidavit as a "joke."
Also read: Mahua Moitra-Darshan Hiranandani affidavit controversy sparks political firestorm as accusations fly
