The Delhi High
Court on Friday dismissed Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra's plea
against the alleged leakage of "confidential" information from the ED
to the media in relation to a probe against her under the Foreign Exchange
Management Act (FEMA).
"Dismissed,"
said Justice Subramonium Prasad while pronouncing the verdict.
Moitra had sought
a direction to restrain the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from "leaking any
information, including any confidential, sensitive, unverified/unconfirmed
information, to the print/electronic media in relation to the ongoing
investigation".
She had also
sought a direction to restrain several media organisations from "leaking,
publishing/broadcasting of any information related to the ongoing
investigation/proceedings in relation to the investigation being carried out by
Respondent No.1 (ED) under which a FEMA summons has been issued to the
petitioner".
A detailed copy
of the court's decision is awaited.
The senior
counsel appearing in the court on behalf of the former MP earlier claimed that
Moitra was being "hounded" and information on the issuance of the
summons 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 lodged under the FEMA.
Transactions
linked to a non-resident external (NRE) account are under the agency's scanner
in the case, apart from a few other foreign remittances and transfer of funds,
sources said.
In her petition,
Moitra had said the "leakages" to the media of confidential
information regarding the investigation was causing a grave and prejudicial
impact on her right to a free-and-fair investigation