The Ex Factor: Did Mahua Moitra snoop on her former boyfriends?

2023 was a tumultuous year for Mahua Moitra. After the cash-for-query case, she was expelled from Parliament. And now 2024 has begun on a not-so-happy note. The “ex” factor continues to haunt the Trinamool Congress. It was the Supreme Court lawyer and her former boyfriend Jai Anant Dehadrai whose complaint led to her ouster. Now he has accused Moitra of carrying out “illegal surveillance” on him and another former boyfriend.

We take a look at the latest allegations against Moitra and her constant troubles with her ex.

Did Mahua Moitra snoop on her former boyfriends?

In the latest twist in the Moitra vs ex saga, the 35-year-old Dehadrai has accused the politician of carrying out “illegal surveillance on her ex-boyfriend” with the help of senior policemen from West Bengal.

In a complaint filed with the home ministry and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the lawyer alleged that Moitra obtained call records of another former boyfriend without permission, as she suspected that he was having an affair with a German woman, a senior executive of a social media giant.

“I was shocked to discover that Moitra, with the help of senior Bengal police officers, had access to the complete CDR [call detail records] history of her ex-boyfriend. She possessed precise information about the individuals who had been in contact with him, as well as the exact location of his phone throughout the day,” Dehadrai said in his complaint. He also attached screenshots of some chats and a purported list of call records.

In a letter to CBI and Amit Shah, Dehadrai said that Moitra was “actively tracking” her former boyfriend Suhaan Mukerji, as she “suspected him of being in a relationship with a German lady by the name of Ms Helana Lersch”. He also alleged that the Bengal politician was tracking the woman, according to a report by Republic World. She reportedly obtained Mukerji’s precise location on one occasion when he was staying at the Shangri La Hotel in Delhi.

Dehadrai also mentioned that when he questioned Moitra, she justified herself by claiming certain rights enjoyed by a member of Parliament, including the ability to keep tabs on whoever she chooses to. He alleged that a few police officials in Bengal could not turn her down and were obligated to fulfil her request, according to a report in The Economic Times (ET).

He is also concerned about his safety and has alleged that he has strong reasons to believe that Moitra is using her connections with senior Bengal police officers to conduct illegal surveillance on him.

“This is a very serious issue and there are people from Odisha who are financing and supporting those against whom I have filed a complaint (to CBI). This fight is a bit dangerous but I will not back down,” he told news agency ANI.

The advocate also said that his former partner had made several threats to him in the past. He also felt that his car was being followed on several occasions in Delhi.

Also read: How the cash-for-query case against Mahua Moitra unfolded

What is Moitra saying?

Moitra has responded to the allegations, once again insinuating that the Dehadrai is a jilted ex. “I urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to appoint a special director of the CBI to investigate complaints made by jilted exes across India,” she said.

“It is interesting to see that the self-proclaimed protector of privacy is included in the complaint. He has honed his surveillance skills while covering up for his leader in Gujarat. I am confident he can get to the bottom of this as well. Good luck,” she added, taking potshots at Home Minister Amit Shah.

How Moitra and Dehadrai have been at loggerheads

Moitra and Dehadrai have been having a public spat for months now. The two have been in a bitter battle over the custody of their pet rottweiler Henry. He filed several complaints against the Trinamool leader over the issue.

The expelled MP has said that Dehadrai was a jilted ex and claimed that he stole the dog but later returned it. However, he had a different story to tell. In a letter to the Delhi police commissioner, he said that Moitra had abducted the dog after the cash-for-query allegations.

Dehadrai had later claimed that he was approached by Moitra’s lawyer to withdraw the “cash-for-query” complaint against her in exchange for Henry but he had turned it down.

Both Moitra and Dehadrai had staked claim to the pet. In November, the latter shared a video saying that Henry was back home.

Welcome back Henry!

Thank you for all the support, prayers and wishes ❤️

Henry is thrilled to be back home. pic.twitter.com/xFxfgqXLDJ

— Jai Anant Dehadrai (@jai_a_dehadrai) November 9, 2023

Dehadrai had also accused Moitra of trespassing and said that she had visited his house uninvited on 5 and 6 November.

Also read: Mahua Moitra expelled from Lok Sabha: What next for the firebrand TMC leader?

Who is Jai Anant Dehadrai?

Dehadrai is a known name in legal circles and his main practice is white-collar crimes. However, he has also fought on several issues. He is fighting a case in the Supreme Court, where he challenged Delhi prison rules that cap the number of visits by relatives of prisoners.

In 2017, he fought for a family that was slapped with a huge medical bill after losing their seven-year-old daughter to dengue. He fought for a non-profit working for disability rights against the Delhi government for not making public transport accessible, reports money control.

He is a postgraduate in law from the University of Pennsylvania and also pursued a course in corporate diplomacy from the Wharton School.

Dehadrai has had a promising career so far. But he is largely remembered for his ugly spat with the firebrand Mahua Moitra.

With inputs from agencies