Shashi Tharoor charged with abetting wife’s suicide
NEW DELHI: The Delhi police on Monday charged Congress MP Shashi Tharoor with abetting the suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar more than four years after she was found dead in a hotel room in south Delhi.
An officer confirmed to HT that police mentioned an overdose of Alprax tablets as the cause of Pushkar’s death. The special investigation team also charged Tharoor under Section 498A (cruelty to wife) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in their charge sheet submitted to a city court on Monday. For the past three and a half years, police were probing the case as one of murder after filing an investigation report under Section 302 (murder) against “unknown” suspects. The charge sheet reportedly mentions details of the couple’s strained relationship and allegations of Tharoor’s extra-martial affair as a reason why Pushkar was depressed and overdosed on Alprax tablets.
The 51-year-old had not left behind a suicide note.
The court is yet to take cognisance of the charge sheet and has fixed May 24 as the next date of hearing. Pushkar was found dead in her suite at the Leela Hotel on the evening of January 14, 2014.
Delhi police chief spokesperson Depender Pathak said they charged Tharoor with abetting suicide and cruelty after analysing the medico-legal and forensic evidence in the case. He said the investigation team also took the opinion of “psychological autopsy experts” before reaching this conclusion.
A police officer, who did not wish to be named, said they charged Tharoor with abetment
› I have taken note of the filing of this preposterous chargesheet and intend to contest it vigorously... It does not speak well of the ... motivations of the Delhi Police.
SHASHI THAROOR, Congress leader
› On the basis of medicolegal and forensic evidence analysed during investigation as well as opinion of psychological autopsy experts, the chargesheet was filed. The matter is subjudice.
A SPOKESPERSON, Delhi police
to suicide on the basis of medical reports such as injury marks on Pushkar’s body.
As evidence of cruelty leading Pushkar to commit suicide, police have reportedly attached a statement of Tharoor’s help Narayan Singh who has claimed to have seen the couple fighting. Singh has also reportedly claimed he was an eyewitness to one such fight, which was violent.
Police used the psychological analysis reports of five people, including Tharoor and his domestic help, to establish the couple’s strained relationship.
Police have attached medical reports about the bruises on Pushkar’s face and wrist, which they suspect had been caused during a scuffle.
The charge sheet, which runs into 3,000 pages has statements of hotel employees, Naryana Singh, and also Pakistan-based journalist Mehr Tarar. Police have attached Tarar’s messages with Tharoor as evidence, which they suspect led to the couple’s strained relationship.