Dehadrai in HC: Won’t make any conspiracy allegation against Misra

ADVOCATE JAI Anant Dehadrai assured the Delhi High Court Wednesday that he won’t make any allegations that Biju Janata Dal ( BJD) leader Pinaki Misra is involved in any conspiracy against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dehadrai’s assurance came as a single- judge bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh noted that the CBI was “already looking into the complaint” made by the advocate in the matter and that he should wait for the CBI to complete its investigation. The HC was hearing Misra’s lawsuit to restrain Dehadrai from publishing or circulating any allegedly “false and defamatory” content against the BJD MP from Odisha’s Puri.

“Mr ( Raghav) Awasthi for and on behalf of Defendant No. 1 ( Dehadrai) assures the court that no allegations of the plaintiff ( Misra) being involved in any conspiracy against the Honorable Prime Minister will be made till the next date of hearing in view of the fact that complaint in this regard is pending before the CBI,” Justice Singh said in the order.

Justice Singh also said that allegations of conspiring against the Prime Minister could “not be made irresponsibly” and need to be “based on cogent and substantial reasons”. “Prima facie the allegations of conspiracy against the Prime Minister is a serious allegation; the same tantamounts to treason,” the court said. The HC issued summons in the lawsuit and listed the matter on July 29.

In his lawsuit, Misra has said that after personal differences arose between Dehadrai and TMC leader Mahua Moitra, the lawyer made a “barrage of allegations” not only against her but persons with whom she shared a personal relationship, including Misra.

Denying Dehadrai’s allegations, Misra's counsel Samudra Sarangi told the HC that BJD was “ideologically aligned with the BJP at the Centre”. He further said that being a “respected citizen and an MP”, Misra has the “highest possible regard for the PM”.

When the matter was heard in the pre- lunch session, Dehadrai, who was also present in court, said he had “directly witnessed conversations between Pinaki Misra, Mahua Moitra and Darshan Hiranandani”. He said there were

“multiple strategies” hatched between Misra and the TMC leader. He said Misra would “write” Moitra’s “speeches” and would “give her inputs on what sort of targets to make in the public domain against the PM”.

“On affidavit I filed with enormous courage two complaints in October 2023, one with MP Nishikant Dubey and second to the CBI director. In complaints on affidavit I have indicated the role of the plaintiff ( Misra),” Dehadrai said. However Justice Singh orally said, “When you say ' conspiracy against the PM' it is troublesome. You can say that at the end of the day the plaintiff is a politician, he can't be so sensitive. But this is serious".

In the post- lunch session, Dehadrai's counsel Raghav Awasthi handed, in a sealed cover, Dehadrai's statement made to the CBI. Awasthi said that the "Lokpal has directed the CBI to not only file status reports but has also said that all aspects of the complaint needs to be investigated".

The High Court then said Dehadrai should wait for the investigation to be completed and must not make such statements until then.