New Delhi: Top Supreme Court Lawyer and former partner of TMC leader Mahua Moitra Jai Anant Dehadrai's scathing attack on Senior Journalist Karan Thapar has sparked massive controversy. Jai Anant Dehadrai took to X (Former Twitter) and said, "Karan Thapar is a twisted and corrupt monster - the suave and articulate exterior is a scam. Went out of his way to protect dirty Shashi from me, in the hotel molestation incident of 11th October 2022 - rather than supporting the victim. Lutyens filth is astounding. " He also posted the snap of Thapar's October 2022 post.
After Karan Thapar hit out at Dehadrai saying that the text message in question was being circulated by him in an attempt to distort and misconstrue its content and meaning, Mahua Moitra’s partner responded by calling Thapar an "unscrupulous weasel."
In a post on X Dehadrai said, "I am dismayed by the Statement put out by Karan Thapar today. Rather than atone for the sin of protecting a prolific sexual predator, he has chosen to lie and defend him. The text message in question, which was sent by Karan, was singularly aimed at protecting a depraved individual - and must understandably be a cause of great consternation and shame, for him. It needs no further elaboration. Karan is welcome to release messages he claims I sent to him when the incident occurred. Truth is, there aren't any. Rather, he implored me over several phone calls to stay quiet lest Shashi's chances in the Congress Presidential Election get affected. I was disgusted by this. Annoyed by the pressure he was exerting on me, I stopped taking his calls - hence the desperate tone in his message to me. Karan Thapar talks of being honourable in his Statement. The unfortunate truth is that he directly used threats of supposed reputational damage to the victim, and separately, attempted to coerce my silence by claiming that the victim would be upset with me, if I reported Shashi. Karan - far from being an honourable man, you're an unscrupulous weasel."
What is the October 11th 2022 incident?
TMC leader Mahua Moitra's former partner turned foe and also an eminent Supreme Court Lawyer Jai Anat Dehadrai had on December 6th 2023, posted on X and accused Congress MP Shashi Tharoor of molesting a lady on 11 October 2022 in presence of him and Mahua at Taj Chambers which is a VIP meeting place in the Taj Hotel on Delhi's Man Singh road. However he later deleted the post. The post was however reposted by other users on X. The post said, "Mahua's remarks on misogyny are laughable and expose her for the raging hypocrite she is. She and I witnessed Shashi Tharoor molest a lady on 11/10/2022 at Taj Chambers Delhi. She prevented me from reporting Shashi's sickening behaviour- I'm sure she can explain why". Here's the snap of the post:
Netizens sprung into mixed reactions to Jay Anant Dehadrai's recent post accusing journalist Karan Thapar of protecting Shashi Tharoor from the repercussions of his involvement in the alleged molestation of a lady in October 2022. @Prathmesh_AA said, "Karan Thapar has been masquerading for too long as a champion of free speech and proponent of truth. But what he truly is - a manipulator, peddling news dictated by his ‘friends’ and financed by them. Also coming in hand whenever whitewashing is required. Courageous of @jai_a_dehadrai to bring out this glaring reality."
Reacting to this, @imPraveenk said, "So a lawyer is appointed to polish the frightened face due to bone’s coming out of questioning about Godhra from modi by Karan Thapar long back. What this lawyer was doing since then & why at the time of election he is sensationalising a victim’s tragic life?To whitewash modi?"
@Rebornafter50yr said, "Again 'Gentleman' with a capital G that Temples will remember as one that they have produced @jai_a_dehadrai! Leaking of Private conversations, going after the ex-es' career, compromising your's client's confidentiality by insinuation - You are a genius!
Who is Jai Anant Dehadrai?
Jai Anant Dehadrai is a lawyer at the Supreme court of India who rose to prominence in 2023 when he accused TMC leader Mahua Moitra of misusing her position as a member of parliament by sharing her parliamentary login credentials to a Dubai based businessman who posted questions instead of the MP.
In October 2023, Jai Anant Dehadrai made a complaint to CBI and wrote a letter to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey in which he alleged that Mahua Moitra was taking bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in Parliament specifically targeting the Adani group. Nishikant Dubey then wrote a letter to Om Birla, the Speaker of the lower house of Indian parliament. Dubey said that his allegations are based on Dehadrai's letter. Dehadrai claimed to have evidence against the TMC MP accepting bribes. Dehadrai was in a relationship with TMC leader Mahua Moitra in past.
