Sunanda Pushkar case: Delhi court discharges Shashi Tharoor
Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor is cleared of charges in Sunanda Pushkar case by Delhi court on Wednesday. He had been accused of abetment to suicide and cruelty in connection with his wife Pushkar's death.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 18, 2021
"The accused (Mr Tharoor) is discharged," said Special Judge Geetanjli Goel while asking the MP from Thiruvananthapuram to furnish a requisite bond.
Shashi Tharoor was present in the court when the special court discharged him in the Sunanda Pushkar death case.
"It was 7.5 years of torture," said Tharoor.@_pallavighosh shares details with @ridhimb. pic.twitter.com/wmLiIjE5nG— News18 (@CNNnews18) August 18, 2021
#ShashiTharoor discharged by #Delhi court in connection with #SunandaPushkar death case. Court refuses to frame charges.
Mohit Sharma reports from outside Tharoor’s residence. pic.twitter.com/7ovOHWlDI8— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 18, 2021
"Most grateful, your honour. It's been seven-and-half years of absolute torture. I really appreciate it," said Mr Tharoor, who was present during the video conferencing hearing, immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict.
Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014.
In Sunanda Murder case the court has declined to frame charges. I had petitioned to be an intervenor but both the Accused and Prosecutor opposed my petition. Thus I was kept out. If DP appeals against this Order in the High Court, then I will again seek to intervene.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 18, 2021
Tharoor, a former union minister, who is currently on bail in the case, was charge-sheeted by Delhi Police under Sections 498-A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Earlier, Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava stressed that Pushkar has undergone mental cruelty which led to her bad health. The Public Prosecutor also argued that it was not an accidental death and relied on the post mortem report which suggested that the cause of death is poisoning which could be oral or injected.
Srivastava had also said that due to the mental cruelty caused to Pushkar, her health became worse. He further added that Pushkar was not facing any health issues earlier but problems begun due to "stress and betrayal".
Tharoor's Defence counsel and Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa said that prosecutors were not able to establish evidence against the leader and the theory of injecting poison is in the air and cannot be admissible.
(With inputs from agencies)
