Congress MP and former minister of state Shashi Tharoor has been named in the charge sheet filed by the Delhi police in the murder of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.
The 3000-page chargesheet was filed before Metropolitan Magistrate Dharmender Singh under Sections 306 (Abetment of suicide) and 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) in New Delhi's Patiala Court on Monday.
Reacting to the news, Tharoor took to Twitter saying:
1/2 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. If this is conclusion arrived at after 4+ yrs of investigation, (contd.)
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 14, 2018
2/2) 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!
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 14, 2018
News18 reports that the charge sheet says that the cause of Pushkar's suicide was marital discord and that "one party led the other to commit suicide".
The news report claims that Tharoor's name was mentions in column 2 of the charge sheet since police do not have enough evidence against him.
The prosecution is likely to request the court to summon the MP.
The next hearing of the case is on May 24.
A special investigation team that was formed to investigate Pushkar's death had told the Supreme Court last month that it had prepared a final draft report.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya, who was supervising the probe, had told the court in April, "As soon as the draft police report is received after legal vetting by the prosecution department, the same shall be submitted before the competent trial court for consideration and concomitant judicial proceedings."
Pushkar had was found dead under mysterious circumstances at the Leela Hotel in Delhi on January 17, 2014.
Editor's note: This is a developing story, further details are awaited.