Sunanda Pushkar death case: Court to hear arguments on charge from Aug 20

A Delhi court Thursday said it will hear from August 20 arguments on charge likely to be framed against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death.

Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj fixed the date while disposing of an application by Tharoor seeking a direction to the prosecution and the Delhi Police not to share the charge sheet as well as any document on record in the case with any person not related to the case.

The court said there were already provisions in the law, which restrained the prosecution and the Delhi Police from sharing official documents with any other person to whom it is not authorised to communicate such document or classified information.

 

"No further direction is required to be passed restraining them from sharing the charge sheet and documents of this case with any third person or stranger," the court said.

It, however, said the prosecution was at liberty to seek advise of any expert to equip itself to address arguments on charge.

"The experts consulted by the prosecution shall not share the documents of this charge sheet with any other third party or stranger and the prosecution shall serve a copy of this order on such expert consulted by it for information and compliance by the said expert.

"The prosecution shall maintain a record of experts consulted by it with whom it would be sharing the documents of this case and produce before the court, if so directed," the court said.

After disposing of the application, it said, "The list for arguments on charge now on August 20."

The Delhi Police had opposed Tharoor's application, saying it needed to discuss various things with the experts concerned and any blanket ban on sharing the documents with the third party will hamper the agency's right.

The former Union minister, who is currently on bail in the case, was charged by the Delhi Police under Sections 498-A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but has not been arrested in the case.

Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time.