Mahua Moitra's Cash for Query scam opens a can of worms

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Lalit Shastri

A Social media content creator, who is on youtube with the ID BhikhuMhatre @MumbaichaDon and is also on X/Twitter as BhikuMhatre @MumbaichaDon, has posted a tweet, under the heading: "Long Read with Explosives Details!". Citing from the Affidavit of Darshan Hiranandani, he has exposed the All India Trinamool Congress MP Moitra Mahua, now facing the "cash for Query" charge. 

BhikuMhatre@MumbaichaDon has raised a couple of burning questions. 

He has asked on X/Twitter, "does Mahua Moitra have Brain to carry out this Entire Hit Job on #Adani ON HER OWN?"  Also, "Is Chidambaram involved too?" He further points to two names in Affidavit of Darshan Hiranandani! The names are Shardul and Pallavi Shroff!

On Shardul and Pallavi, the tweet says: Check here


There is an allegation in certain quarters that Shardul's firm was advising Devas and that it had fixed the tribunal through the appointment of arbitrators favouring Devas Multimedia Private Limited against ISRO arm, Antrix Corporation, in London Court of International Arbitration.

On 14 September 2015, the three-member tribunal presiding over the ICC Arbitration, [which included Dr. Michael Pryles (Chairman), Mr. V.V. Veeder QC and Dr. A.S. Anand, former Chief Justice of India], had issued a unanimous award concluding that Antrix wrongfully terminated the Devas-Antrix Agreement, and ordered it to pay Devas USD 562.5 million in damages plus interest (“ICC Award”). 225 Specifically, the Tribunal found that Antrix had wrongfully terminated the Agreement, dismissing Antrix’s force majeure and impossibility defenses.


Click for Supreme Court order of 10 May 2013 on Arbitration petition 

The Supreme Court order in favour of Devas in the Arbitration Petition filed on 5 August 2011 by the ISRO arm Antrix Corporation was delivered by a two judge Bench presided by CJI Altmas Kabir just before his retirement.

The Delhi High Court on 29 August 2022 set aside the 2015 arbitral award directing ISRO’s Antrix Corporation to pay USD 562.2 million as damages along with interest thereon to Devas Multimedia Private Limited for terminating their agreement in 2011, saying the award suffered from “patent illegalities and fraud”.

Dr Michael Pryles who was the chairman of the 3-member tribunal presiding over the ICC Arbitration, is Founder President, Court of Arbitration, Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC). The undivided Shroff's law firm, which was said to be close to the then Finance Minister Chidambaram, was associated with SIAC when Pryles was appointed Chairman of the three-member tribunal for the ICC Arbitration in the Anrtix-Devas case.

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