The Delhi High court on Wednesday discharged Congress MP leader Shashi Tharoor in connection with a case related to the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar in a luxury hotel in the national capital. Special Judge Geetanjali Goel passed the order in a virtual hearing and asked him to file a bond.
Senior Congress leader Tharoor thanked the court and said it had been absolute torture for the past seven-and-half years. He said that his faith in the Indian judiciary stands vindicated and the verdict brought a “significant conclusion to the long nightmare” which had enveloped him.
Tharoor was represented by Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa and lawyer Gaurav Gupta. Advocate Pahwa told the court that they will be filing the bond today or tomorrow.
Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava represented Delhi Police in the case.
While the Delhi police had sought framing of various charges, including 306 (abetment of suicide) during the arguments, Tharoor’s advocate Pahwa told the judge that the investigation conducted by the SIT completely absolved the politician of all the charges levelled against him.
On the night of January 17, 2014, Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the national capital. The couple was staying in the hotel as the Tharoor’s official bungalow was being renovated at that time.
Tharoor was charged under sections 498A (marital cruelty) and 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code by the Delhi Police, but was not arrested in the case. He was granted bail on July 5, 2018.
(Inputs from agencies)
