Delhi HC refuses to stay trial in Mahua Moitra’s pet dog custody case against ex-partner

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to stay trial court proceedings in a case filed by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra against her former partner, advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, over the custody of a pet Rottweiler named Henry. The court said the issues raised in the case require a full trial and cannot be decided without examining evidence from both sides.

A bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri passed the order while hearing Dehadrai’s petition challenging a November 10, 2025 order of the trial court, which had rejected his plea seeking dismissal of Moitra’s suit. The trial court had held that Dehadrai’s arguments related to limitation, ownership of the dog, and alleged suppression of facts by Moitra could only be assessed through a detailed trial process.

During the hearing, Dehadrai, appearing in person, requested that the High Court either list the petition before April 29 or stay the trial court proceedings, as the matter was scheduled to be heard again the next day in the lower court. The High Court declined both requests but issued notice on his petition and the application seeking a stay on further proceedings. The matter has now been listed for hearing on May 14.

The custody of the dog Henry has been a major point of dispute between Moitra and Dehadrai amid a broader conflict between the two that began in 2023. Dehadrai had earlier accused Moitra of parliamentary impropriety and corruption, allegations that triggered a political controversy involving claims of “cash-for-query” misconduct in Parliament.

In 2025, Moitra filed a civil suit seeking shared custody of the dog, stating that the two had an oral agreement regarding Henry’s care and that she had developed a strong emotional bond with the animal. Dehadrai, however, has claimed that he purchased the dog in 2021 and described his relationship with Henry as similar to that of a parent and child.