Shashi Tharoor seeks anticipatory bail in Sunanda Pushkar death case

New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor today moved a Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in the case related to the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar in which he has already been summoned as an accused.

The politician’s plea was filed before Special Judge Arvind Kumar who sought Delhi Police’s response and kept it for hearing tomorrow. Tharoor was earlier summoned as an accused by a magisterial court for the alleged offences of abetment of suicide and committing cruelty towards Pushkar.

In his plea filed through advocate Vikas Pahwa, Tharoor said the charge sheet has been filed without arrest and the SIT (special investigation team) has categorically stated that investigation has been concluded and no custodial interrogation is required.

“The law is very clear that if the charge sheet is filed without arrest the bail is inevitable. We have only requested for protection so that we appear in the court on July 7,” Pahwa said. The matter will be heard tomorrow at 10 am as the prosecutor was not present in the court today, he said.

On June 5, a court had summoned Tharoor as accused, asking him to appear before it on July 7 and saying there were sufficient grounds to proceed against him. Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel room on the night of January 17, 2014.

Tharoor has been charged under Sections 498 A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.