The Supreme Court on Friday, August 7, 2026, declined to entertain Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra’s plea seeking permission to appear virtually before police instead of attending the investigation in person.

A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu questioned Moitra’s concern that she could face egg-pelting or protests if she appeared before the investigating officer. The court observed that having entered politics, she should not avoid appearing before investigators merely because of such apprehensions. 

During the hearing, the bench made a pointed reference to India’s freedom struggle, asking why an elected representative would fear eggs when freedom fighters had faced bullets. The court indicated that it was not inclined to interfere with the Calcutta High Court’s direction requiring Moitra to cooperate with the investigation. 

Moitra had approached the Supreme Court after the Calcutta High Court directed her to appear before the investigating officer in connection with a case arising from alleged provocative Facebook posts. Her legal team argued that she should be allowed to participate through video conferencing, citing concerns over her physical safety and previous incidents involving protests and alleged egg-pelting. 

The controversy comes amid allegations that eggs and other objects were thrown during protests targeting Moitra in West Bengal. In July, she had also sought protection from the Calcutta High Court, with her lawyer claiming that repeated incidents were affecting her ability to discharge her parliamentary responsibilities. 

The Supreme Court ultimately declined to entertain her plea, leaving the High Court’s direction for her to cooperate with the investigation in place. Her petition was subsequently withdrawn.