On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court asked why Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai could not settle their fight over the custody of a pet dog, Henry, outside court.

“Why don’t you both sit down and sort this out? What exactly is she asking for in this suit?” Justice Sachin Datta Jain asked while hearing Moitra’s plea for joint custody of the Rottweiler.

The battle over Henry has been ongoing since 2023, with both Moitra and Dehadrai claiming ownership.

  • Moitra says Henry belongs to her.

  • Dehadrai argues he has been the one caring for the dog since it was just 40 days old, making him the rightful guardian.

Dehadrai is also challenging a trial court order that stopped either party from publicly discussing the case. His lawyer, Sanjay Ghose, argued the order violated his client’s right to free expression.

He said even social media posts that did not directly name the case were treated as violations. Ghose asked in court, “Is an MP entitled to a higher privilege than any other litigant?”

The dog custody case is not happening in isolation. In 2023, Dehadrai’s complaint to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey led to a Lok Sabha Ethics Committee inquiry. The panel later recommended Moitra’s expulsion, accusing her of accepting favours from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament.

Moitra has strongly denied these allegations, calling the proceedings a “fixed match” conducted by a “kangaroo court.”

The personal feud between the two has also led to multiple police complaints, with both sides accusing each other of trespass and intimidation.

For now, the High Court has sought a reply from Moitra and adjourned the case until December. Until then, the question of who gets to keep Henry remains unresolved, leaving the Rottweiler caught between a personal breakup and a political storm.