The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday registered a money laundering case against Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani in connection with the cash-for-query allegations, The Hindu reported.

The money laundering case is based on the first information report registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the cash-for-query case. The Enforcement Directorate is already investigating Moitra for alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had booked Moitra on March 21, two days after the Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman, directed it to investigate the allegations against her.

According to the Lokpal order, Moitra had shared her credentials of the Lok Sabha members’ portal with Dubai-based businessman Hiranandani to allow him to share questions. Hiranandani posted 58 questions that were asked by Moitra in Parliament, the Lokpal order had said on Tuesday, citing the central agency’s preliminary inquiry findings.

The anti-corruption body had said that the allegations against the Trinamool Congress leader were backed by cogent evidence and were extremely serious.

Moitra, who represented West Bengal’s Krishnanagar constituency, was expelled from Parliament on December 8.

Her expulsion was based on a recommendation by the Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee that had found Moitra guilty of having shared her login credentials to the Parliamentary website with Hiranandani and accepting gifts in exchange for asking the questions in Parliament.

The allegations against the politician were made in October by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, her estranged partner.

However, Moitra, alleged that the ethics panel found her guilty of breaching a code that did not exist.

Also read: What does the summary expulsion of an Opposition MP say about Parliamentary democracy in India?