A Delhi court on Saturday, November 3, asked the local police to give Shashi Tharoor certain documents related to the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, a case in which the Congress leader is named as one of the accused. The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate gave the order after Tharoor's lawyer pointed out that certain bits of electronic evidence that was provided by the prosecutors were not in good condition.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal made the ruling when senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, on behalf of Tharoor, said that the prosecution had submitted electronic evidence, was not clear and in bad condition, The Times of India reported.
The prosecution was represented in court by Atul Srivastava. He is reported to have told the court that copies of this evidence will be handed over to Tharoor. The court has fixed December 1 as the date for further hearing.
Electronic evidence includes documents that allegedly contain witness statements in the case. The Delhi Police will now have to hand over documents that include the charge sheet as well as statements of witnesses, notes the report.
Sunanda Pushkar was found dead on January 17, 2014, in a luxury hotel in Delhi. Both Tharoor and Pushkar were living in the suite because their official residence was under renovation at the time.
On June 5, the court had issued summons to Tharoor as it found that there was, in fact, enough evidence and sufficient grounds to pursue a case. The MP from Thiruvananthapuram was granted bail on July 7 after his court appearance based on the summons issued on him, notes the report.
Shashi Tharoor is charged under sections 498-A (husband subjecting woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) under the Indian Penal Code.
