Court ‘concerned’ over police failure to file chargesheet
The Delhi high court on Monday said “it’s a matter of concern” that a charge sheet has not been filed for three-and-a-half years in the Sunanda Pushkar death case. Pushkar, 52, was found dead in a Delhi hotel on January 17, 2014.
A bench of justice GS Sistani and justice Chander Shekhar issued a notice to Delhi police on a petition by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s stepson Shiv Menon. Menon wants to be made a party in a plea by BJP ’s Subramanian Swamy for a court-monitored CBI-led SIT probe in the death.
The bench also sought a response from Swamy on Menon’s plea, seeking to intervene on the grounds that the BJP leader had no locus in the issue of his mother’s death. “We are asking you a simple question. How are you affected by this prayer. The (Swamy’s) prayer is for proper inquiry into the death of this person,” the bench asked Menon. “In any criminal matter, if charge sheet has not been filed for three-and-a-half years, it’s a matter of concern... You being the son should say why no charge sheet has not been filed,” the bench remarked.
It added, “We thought the son will be extremely keen to know who is the person (responsible for Sunanda’s death)”.
Delhi police’s counsel Rahul Mehra said, “We will place it before the court. A portion of it has to be placed in a sealed cover,” Mehra said, adding he was “slightly surprised” by Menon’s prayer challenging Swamy’s plea for a court-monitored inquiry.
Menon’s lawyer Vikas Pahwa asked the court to restrain Swamy from passing the status report to media. However, the court declined to pass an order, saying he has to be first made a party in Swamy’s petition.