Sunanda Pushkar death case: Email, help’s statement part of evidence against Shashi Tharoor

Evidence cited by the police, including the statement of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s domestic help, bruises on his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s body and an email sent by Pushkar to her husband expressing “no desire to live” led a city court on Tuesday to summon Tharoor on July 7 to face trial on the charge of abetment to suicide.

Pushkar was found dead in the Leela Hotel on January 17, 2014.

In a statement on Tuesday, Tharoor said, “I would like to point out that, from the very start, I have fully cooperated with the investigating team and will continue to maintain that due legal process must be followed in all aspects related to this case.”

“I would like to reiterate my position that I find the charges preposterous and baseless, the product of a malicious and vindictive campaign against myself. I will continue to vigorously contest these charges and maintain my steadfast conviction that ultimately the truth will prevail through the judicial system that we are privileged to have in our country,” the statement read.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had told the court that Pushkar (51) died because of poisoning and that 27 Alprax anti-depressant tablets were found in her suite but it was not clear how many pills she had consumed prior to her death. The court had then reserved its order for June 5, on whether to summon Tharoor as an accused in the case.

In a 3,000 page charge sheet, filed by the Delhi Police on May 14, Tharoor was charged with cruelty and abetment to suicide under Indian Penal Code sections 498A and 306. The police also attached a statement of Tharoor’s help Narayan Singh, as “evidence” of cruelty. He had allegedly claimed that he had witnessed the couple fighting.

The charge sheet also had statements from Tharoor’s domestic staff and hotel employees. When the Delhi Police submitted the charge sheet, Tharoor had tweeted that it was “preposterous”.

“No one who knew Sunanda believes she would have committed suicide, let alone abetment on my part,” he had said.

He added, “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 HC that they have not found anything against anyone & now in 6 months they say that I have abetted a suicide. ”