New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra’s lawyer withdrew from a defamation case filed by her over allegations that she took bribes to ask questions in parliament after a dramatic ‘conflict of interest’ claim in court on Friday. The next hearing will be on October 31.

The court then scheduled the next hearing for October 31

Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who provided ‘evidence’ to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against Moitra, told the Delhi High Court that senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the Trinamool leader, had approached him to drop the CBI complaint against her.

“The senior advocate called me yesterday and asked me to withdraw the CBI complaint in exchange for the return of the dog,” said Dehadrai who is Mahua Moitra’s estranged partner.

Moitra and Dehadrai have been fighting over their pet Rottweiler, Henry. In the last six months, the Trinamool MP has filed multiple police complaints against Dehadrai for alleged criminal trespass, theft, vulgar messages and abuse, news agency PTI reported, quoting Trinamool sources.

Dehadrai’s revelation led to the judge, Justice Sachin Datta, saying “I’m appalled”. He asked Moitra’s lawyer if he had been in touch with the defendant.

Sankarnarayan replied, “I spoke to my client and said I know Jai. Let me try and speak to him.”

“If you tried to play the mediator, how are you eligible to appear in this case as counsel for plaintiff?” Justice Datta asked. “It’s something that you need to answer yourself. It’s your call,” the judge said, prompting Sankaranarayanan to withdraw from the case.

The court then scheduled the next hearing for October 31.

Soon after the court proceedings, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who has demanded a probe against Moitra in what he said was a reminder of the 2005 cash-for-question scam, tweeted, “The way Trinamool Congress MP is trying to influence the corruption whistleblower Jai Anant Dehadrai, the MP’s lawyer accepted in the Delhi High Court today that this is cheating. Immediate action is needed on this.”

He tagged the Lok Sabha Speaker in the tweet.