The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra against the alleged leakage of “confidential” information from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the media in connection with a probe under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). “Dismissed,” pronounced Justice Subramonium Prasad while delivering the verdict.
Moitra had requested the court to direct the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to refrain from “leaking any information, including any confidential, sensitive, unverified/unconfirmed information, to the print/electronic media regarding the ongoing investigation”. She also sought an order to restrain various media organizations from “leaking, publishing/broadcasting any information related to the ongoing investigation/proceedings concerning the investigation being conducted by Respondent No.1 (ED) … for which a FEMA summons had been issued to the petitioner”.
The senior counsel representing the former MP in court had previously argued that Moitra was being “hounded” and that information about the summons issued to her by the federal agency was published by the media even before she received it.
The ED had issued the summons to Moitra in a case registered under FEMA. Transactions associated with a non-resident external (NRE) account are under scrutiny by the agency in this case, along with a few other foreign remittances and fund transfers, according to sources.
In her petition, Moitra had stated that the “leakages” of confidential information regarding the investigation to the media were having a serious and prejudicial impact on her right to a free and fair investigation.