New Delhi: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court has deferred the hearing on the framing of charges against senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in the Sunanda Pushkar death case on July 2. Earlier, on April 12, Special Judge Geetanjali Goyal reserved the order after the prosecution and defence counsel concluded their arguments on the issue of framing of charges.
The Public Prosecutor stressed that Pushkar had undergone mental cruelty which led to her bad health. The Public Prosecutor also argued that it was not an accidental death and relied on the post-mortem report which suggested that the cause of death was poisoning - either oral or injected. The prosecutor further said that Pushkar was earlier was not facing any health issues but problems began due to "stress and betrayal".
Read: Hearing in Sunanda Pushkar death case deferred till May 19
Tharoor's defence counsel and senior advocate Vikas Pahwa said prosecutors have not been able to establish evidence against the Congress leader and the theory of injecting poison is in the air and hence cannot be admissible. Advocate Pahwa had also sought the acquittal of Tharoor in this case, saying that he had not harassed Pushkar either mentally or physically. He said it is clear from the statements of the relatives of Pushkar that she cannot commit suicide. Also, the relatives have not levelled any allegation against Tharoor.
The former union minister, who is currently on bail in the case, was charged by Delhi Police under Sections 498-A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Read: Sunanda Pushkar case: Court reserves order on Shashi Tharoor’s plea
