Sunanda Pushkar death: Delhi court summons Shashi Tharoor as accused

Shashi Tharoor and Sunanda Pushkar during their wedding ceremony in Pallakad on August 22, 2010. File Pic/AFP

A Delhi court on Tuesday summoned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor as an accused in the case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death and asked him to appear before it on July 7, saying there were sufficient grounds to proceed against him. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal took cognisance of Tharoor's alleged offences of abetment of suicide and committing cruelty towards Pushkar.

"I have heard the prosecutor. I have gone through and perused the charge sheet and the documents filed along with it. On the basis of police report (charge sheet), I take cognisance of offence of abetment of suicide of late Sunanda Pushkar and committing cruelty upon her by Dr Shashi Tharoor," the judge said.

"There exists sufficient grounds to proceed against Tharoor for commission of offences of Section 306 and 498 A of IPC. Issue summons to him for appearance for July 7," the court added. Tharoor's lawyer and senior advocate Vikas Pahwa told the media after the court pronounced the order that no offence was made out against the Congress leader and the prosecution's case was "absurd and preposterous".

"We shall be asking for a copy of the chargesheet and the documents relied upon by the prosecution. After going through them, we shall decide our further course of action."

"Since no offences are made out and the prosecution case is absurd, preposterous and contrary to various judgments of the Supreme Court, we shall take appropriate steps to deal with it," Pahwa said. On May 28, the court had reserved its order on whether to summon Tharoor as an accused in the case. The Delhi Police had on May 14 accused him of abetting Pushkar's suicide.