A Delhi court today, after 7 years of thorough investigation in the high-profile Sunanda Pushkar case, has discharged her widower and suspect, diplomat-politician Shashi Tharoor.
A beloved Page 3 socialite and businesswoman, Pushkar had passed away mysteriously in early 2014. Her dead body was first discovered by her then-husband Tharoor. She was just 51 years old, and they had been married for just 4 years.
But this alone wasn’t fuelling speculation about the cause of her death. Just a few days prior, they had both been in the gossip section of the news over an affair that Tharoor allegedly had with a Pakistani journalist. Pushkar had apparently threatened to reveal this information – which would have harmed Tharoor’s career.
After Pushkar’s demise, initially the conversation hovered around a possible suicide due to overdose. However, new evidence was said to have pointed elsewhere. In less than a year, the Delhi Police booked Tharoor under Sections 498-A and 306 of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with abetment of suicide and domestic subjection of cruelty.
Although he was soon out on bail, this case led to frequent attacks from political rivals and a subsequent derailment of Tharoor’s achievements. He consistently maintained that the allegations were baseless and said that they were part of a malicious campaign.
After months of gruelling investigation, the court didn’t find any incriminating evidence. Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava’s “mental cruelty led to bad health” (of Sunanda Pushkar) argument didn’t land, but Defense counsel Vikas’ Pahwa’s arguments did. He read a statement by Pushkar’s son and countered the ‘injecting poison’ claim.
This week, the Special Judge Geetanjali Goel has given the acquittal order in a virtual court session, post which Tharoor issued a statement, relieved that he “would finally be able to properly mourn the demise” of his late wife Sunanda Pushkar.