Former Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has been directed to vacate her government bungalow immediately following her expulsion from the Lok Sabha in December 2023, sources in the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry confirmed on Tuesday.
The Directorate of Estates issued an eviction notice to Moitra, requiring her to surrender the premises allotted to her during her tenure as an MP. This development comes after Moitra previously missed two deadlines to vacate the residence. Her allotment was cancelled on December 8, 2023, and she was initially asked to leave by January 7, 2024. The DoE subsequently issued notices on January 8 and 12 seeking her response for the delay.
On January 4, the Delhi High Court advised Moitra to approach the DoE with a request to extend her stay in the bungalow. Justice Subramoniun Prasad acknowledged that DoE rules allow for a six-month extension in exceptional circumstances upon payment of specific charges. However, Moitra ultimately chose to withdraw her petition, and the court clarified it had made no observations on the merits of the case, leaving the decision to the DoE.
It added that the law mandates issuing notice to a resident before eviction and the government has to take steps to evict the petitioner in accordance with law. Moitra was held guilty of "unethical conduct" and expelled from Lok Sabha on December 8 last year for allegedly accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password of the Parliament website with him.