New Delhi:

Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in an alleged foreign exchange violation case, sources said on Wednesday.

The agency wants to question Ms Moitra over transactions related to non-resident external (NRE) accounts as well as some cases of overseas remittances and funds transfers, sources said.

This is the third time the agency has issued summons against the former Krishna Nagar Lok Sabha member. Days earlier, the CBI registered a police case and raided her Kolkata home in the cash inquiry case that led to Ms Moitra’s controversial expulsion from Parliament in 2017. December.

A parliamentary ethics panel found Ms Moitra’s behavior “unethical (and) indecent”.

She is accused of receiving Rs 2 crore in cash and “lavish gifts” from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to raise issues critical of the government in Parliament. She is also accused of sharing the login details of her confidential account on the parliament website.

Sources told NDTV that Mr Hiranandani has also been summoned for questioning.

Ms Moitra denied the bribery allegations (but said she did share the website credentials, arguing it was common practice among MPs). The Supreme Court will hear the case in May.

The Trinamool re-nominated Ms Moitra to contest from the Krishna Nagar seat she won in the 2019 elections; five years ago, she won comfortably, garnering nearly 45% of the total vote.

She will contest against local royal Rajmata Amrita Roy, whom the BJP hopes will be influential enough to win a seat it has won only once since the first polls in 1967.