NEW DELHI, MAY 14,
The Delhi Police on Monday charge-sheeted Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for ”abetment to suicide” in the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.
Pushkar was found dead in a New Delhi luxury hotel room on the night of January 17, 2014.
The investigating agency filed the charge sheet in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Dharmendra Singh under Sections 306 (abetting the commission of suicide) and 498A (punishment for subjecting a married woman to cruelty.
Taking the probe report on record, the magistrate fixed May 23 as the date of taking cognisance of the charge sheet. It also urged the court to summon Mr. Tharoor as an accused.
Mr. Tharoor is the only person who has been named as an accused in the case. The charge sheet, which runs to around 3,000 pages, also alleged that he had subjected his wife to cruelty.
Last month, the police informed the Supreme Court that the charge sheet was ready and sent to the prosecuting department for scrutiny and legal opinion.
Charge sheet “preposterous”
Mr. Tharoor termed the charge sheet “preposterous”. He said he intended to contest it “vigorously”.
“I have taken note of the filing of this preposterous charge sheet & intend to contest it vigorously. No one who knew Sunanda believes she would ever have committed suicide, let alone abetment on my part,” he tweeted.
“It does not speak well of the methods or motivations of the Delhi Police. In oct 17, the Law Officer made a statement in the DelhiHighCourt that they have not found anything against anyone & now in 6 months they say that I have abetted a suicide. unbelievable!,” he said.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the party rejected the charge against Mr. Thaoor. Mr. Tharoor had been “hounded and persecuted” by the Delhi Police in collusion with BJP leaders, he alleged. He also accused the media of holding a trial.
It’s based on medico-legal, forensic evidence: police
The police said the charge sheet was finalised on the basis of “medico-legal and forensic evidence.”
A Delhi Police spokesperson said, “On the basis of medico-legal and forensic evidence analysed during investigation as well as opinion of psychological autopsy experts, the charge sheet was filed. The matter is sub judice.”
