Sunanda Pushkar death case: Delhi court to pronounce verdict on April 29

A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order in a case relating to the death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The court will pronounce its verdict on April 29. Tharoor is an accused in the case.

A Delhi court has reserved it's order on charge in the #Sunanda #Pushkar death case in which Congress MP #shashitharoor is an accused. The order will be pronounced on April 29. Prosecution has asked court to frame charge of murder in the alternate against Tharoor. @IndianExpress

— Anand Mohan (@mohanreports) April 12, 2021

The Delhi Police has charged Tharoor with abetting the suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, who was found dead in a Delhi hotel in January 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel, as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time.

Tharoor had earlier told the court that he should be discharged as various investigations have been conducted by experts but they have not given a “definite opinion on the cause of death”.

The Congress MP, who is represented by Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa, sought discharge in the case, saying there was no evidence against him to prove the offence punishable under either section 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) or 306 (abetment of suicide) of IPC.

On the last date of hearing, Pahwa had read out a statement by Pushkar’s son which stated that Tharoor could not have murdered his mother and that he could not even hurt a fly. The submissions were made before Special Judge Geetanjali Goel, who was hearing the argument on framing of charges.

Tharoor has been charged under sections 498A and 306 of the Indian Penal Code, but was not arrested in the case. He was granted bail on July 5, 2018.