New Delhi : A Delhi court today transferred the Sunanda Pushkar death case, in which her husband and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been indicted for abetting her suicide, to a special court designated to try lawmakers. Metropolitan Magistrate Dharmendra Singh transferred the case to Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal, who will take up the matter on Monday.
"Since he is a sitting member of parliament, matter is being sent to the special designated court for politicians, that is ACMM Samar Vishal. Matter be taken up on May 28," the court said.
The Delhi Police had on May 14 accused Mr Tharoor, the Lok Sabha MP representing Thiruvananthapuram, of abetting Ms Pushkar's suicide and told a city court that he should be summoned as an accused in the four-and-half year-old case, claiming there was sufficient evidence against him.
In a nearly 3,000-page charge sheet, the police has named Mr Tharoor as the only accused while also alleging that he had subjected his wife to mental and physical cruelty, sources said. It had also urged the court to summon Mr Tharoor as an accused. The couple's domestic help, Narayan Singh, has been named one of the key witnesses in the case.
The copy of the chargesheet was not made public immediately and it is not known why the police did not include the charge of murder, which was initially in the FIR when it was filed against unknown persons.
Ms Pushkar was found dead in a five-star hotel room on the night of January 17, 2014.
The Delhi High Court had last year in October 26 dismissed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking court-monitored SIT probe into the death of Ms Pushkar, terming his public-interest litigation or PIL a "textbook example of a political interest litigation", instead of public interest litigation or a PIL.
Later, Mr Swamy had moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order. The top court had then asked him to satisfy it on the question of maintainability of his plea.
The special investigation team (SIT) on April 20 had told the top court that a draft final report has been prepared after conducting "thorough professional and scientific investigations" in the case relating to the death of Congress MP's wife.z
"Since he is a sitting member of parliament, matter is being sent to the special designated court for politicians, that is ACMM Samar Vishal. Matter be taken up on May 28," the court said.
In a nearly 3,000-page charge sheet, the police has named Mr Tharoor as the only accused while also alleging that he had subjected his wife to mental and physical cruelty, sources said. It had also urged the court to summon Mr Tharoor as an accused. The couple's domestic help, Narayan Singh, has been named one of the key witnesses in the case.
Advertisement
Ms Pushkar was found dead in a five-star hotel room on the night of January 17, 2014.
Advertisement
Later, Mr Swamy had moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order. The top court had then asked him to satisfy it on the question of maintainability of his plea.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
"400 Paar, But In Another Country": Shashi Tharoor's UK-Themed Dig At BJP Shashi Tharoor's "Told You So" AIIMS Moment; Rajeev Chandrasekhar Responds Shashi Tharoor's Rare Praise For "Conscientious" Delhi Lt Governor Barack Obama Wants Joe Biden To Pull Out Of US Presidential Race: Report World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage 32 Dead In Bangladesh Unrest, Protesters Set Fire To State TV Headquarters Comedy Legend Bob Newhart Dead At 94: Publicist Israeli Strike Kills Field Commander In Elite Hezbollah Unit: Report Delhi-San Francisco Air India Flight Diverted To Russia After Engine Glitch Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.