New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday discharged senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in a case related to the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar in 2014.
Soon after Special Judge Geetanjali Goel, pronounced the verdict in a virtual hearing, Tharoor thanked her and said his faith in judiciary stands "vindicated". The Congress MP, who was present in the virtual hearing, said the last "seven-and-a-half years were of absolute torture".
Later, in a statement, Tharoor said, "I would like to express my humble thanks to Judge Geetanjali Goel for her orders today, discharging me from the charges levied by the Delhi Police, which I have consistently described as preposterous. This brings a significant conclusion to the long nightmare which had enveloped me after the tragic passing of my late wife Sunanda."
"I have weathered dozens of unfounded accusations and media vilification patiently, sustained by my faith in the Indian judiciary, which today stands vindicated. In our justice system, the process is all too often the punishment," he stated.
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Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city late on January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel as Tharoor's official bungalow was being renovated at that time. The Delhi Police had charged the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram under IPC sections 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide). He was, however, not arrested . He was granted bail on July 5, 2018.
Tharoor said justice has been done, at last, and that his family will mourn Sunanda in peace. He also expressed gratitude to his lawyers, particularly Vikas Pahwa and Gaurav Gupta.
