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Sunanda Pushkar Death Case

About Sunanda Pushkar Death Case

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What is Sunanda Pushkar Death Case

Sunanda Pushkar was the wife of former Indian diplomat and Congress party leader Shashi Tharoor. 
 
Born on June 27, 1962, in a Kashmiri Pandit family, Sunanda moved from Bomai to Jammu in 1990 after the family's house was set on fire by militants. 
 
She was found dead in her suite at Delhi’s Leela Hotel on January 17, 2014.
 
Sunanda Pushkar's death has often been described as one of the most mysterious and controversial cases in recent times. Ever since her body was found in suite number 345 of Delhi's Leela Hotel, conspiracy theories and allegations have haunted her family.
 
Sunanda Pushkar's death
 
On January 16, 2014, Sunanda Pushkar and Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar had a spat on Twitter over the latter’s alleged affair with Shashi Tharoor. Sunanda accused Mehr of being an ISI agent and of stalking her. Mehr refuted the allegations, calling them 'absurd'. Hours later, the tweets were deleted from Sunanda's timeline. 
 
The following day, she was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Hotel Leela Palace in New Delhi. Two days later, the doctors who conducted a postmortem on her body at AIIMS said that it appeared to be a case of sudden, unnatural death. She had injury marks on her body and nominal traces of anti-anxiety drug Alprazolam were found in her stomach.
 
The case was handed over to the Delhi police. The case became murkier after an AIIMS doctor, Sudhir Gupta, claimed that he was being pressured to manipulate the autopsy report. Gupta said Pushkar had fifteen injury marks on her body, most of which did not contribute to death. But, there were two other marks — an injection mark and some bite marks - which aroused suspicion. The report also said that there was a presence of excess amount of alprazolam drug in her stomach.
 
On January 6, 2015, Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi said Pushkar did not commit suicide but was murdered. Meanwhile, Sunanda's viscera samples were sent to Washington for examination. FBI said that the radiation in her viscera samples was within permissible levels and did not cause her death.
 
Subramanian Swamy's allegations
 
Subramanian Swamy has maintained throughout that foul play was involved in Sunanda's death. He alleged that there was evidence she was murdered using Russian poison. He requested the Delhi High Court to hold a court-monitored SIT probe, however, the plea was turned down with the court terming his PIL as a “textbook example of political interest litigation”.
 
Delhi Police on Shashi Tharoor's involvement
 
On May 15, 2018, the Delhi Police charged Congress MP Shashi Tharoor with abetting the suicide of his wife. In a 3,000-page charge sheet, police also accused Tharoor of subjecting Pushkar to cruelty and sought to summon him to court. Tharoor had been charged under Sections 498-A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC by the police.
 
Delhi court's ruling on Shashi Tharoor's involvement

Shashi Tharoor was cleared of all charges by a Delhi court on August 18, 2021 of charges linked to the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.
 
Tharoor then issued a statement, saying, "Most grateful, your honour. It's been seven-and-half years of absolute torture. I really appreciate it.
 
He said that his family would finally mourn Sunanda Pushkar in peace. "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 my faith in the judiciary, which today stands vindicated," he wrote.
 

Latest Updates on Sunanda Pushkar Death Case

Sunanda Pushkar death: Police move HC against Shashi Tharoor's discharge

The Delhi police moved the Delhi HC against the discharge of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in the case of his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death, more than 15 months after a city court let him off

Updated On: 01 Dec 2022 | 6:48 PM IST

Delhi Police moves HC against Tharoor's discharge in Sunanda Pushkar case

HC also directed that copies and documents relating to the case shall not be supplied to any other person except the parties

Updated On: 01 Dec 2022 | 1:32 PM IST

'Conclusion to long nightmare,' says Tharoor after verdict on wife's death

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called the judgement a 'conclusion to a long nightmare' while expressing thanks to the Court

Updated On: 18 Aug 2021 | 4:40 PM IST

Delhi court discharges Shashi Tharoor in wife Sunanda Pushkar's death

A Delhi court on Wednesday discharged senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death in a luxury hotel here.

Updated On: 18 Aug 2021 | 11:29 PM IST

Court defers order on whether to put Tharoor on trial in Sunanda case

A Delhi court on Friday adjourned for nearly a month the order on whether to put Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on trial in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death in a luxury hotel here.

Updated On: 02 Jul 2021 | 10:00 PM IST
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Tharoor moves HC seeking police to preserve Sunanda Pushkar's tweets

The application was filed in a pending petition seeking direction to the police to place before the trial court certain tweets of Pushkar

Updated On: 04 Jun 2020 | 7:48 PM IST

Sunanda Pushkar death case: HC seeks Delhi govt's response on Tharoor plea

The Congress MP has moved the high court against a trial court order of January 30 dismissing his plea for directions to the police to place before it certain tweets of Pushkar

Updated On: 27 Feb 2020 | 9:22 PM IST

Delhi Police urges court to prosecute Tharoor for murder of Sunanda Pushkar

The former Union minister, who is currently on bail in the case, was charged by Delhi Police under Sections 498-A and 306 of the Indian Penal Code

Updated On: 31 Aug 2019 | 6:03 PM IST

Sunanda Pushkar death case: Court asks Shashi Tharoor to appear on July 7

Tharoor has been charged with abetment to suicide and cruelty'

Updated On: 05 Jun 2018 | 3:51 PM IST