Sunanda Pushkar death case transferred to ACMM, next hearing on 28 May

A Delhi court on Thursday transferred the Sunanda Pushkar death case to the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), Samar Vishal, and fixed the next date of hearing as May 28. Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor has been charged with abetment to suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar in 2014.

"Since he is a sitting Member of Parliament, matter is being sent to the special designated court for politicians, that is ACMM Samar Vishal. Matter be taken up on May 28," the court said.

Earlier on May 14, the Delhi Police filed a charge sheet in the court and named Sunanda's husband and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor as accused, under sections 306 (Abetment of suicide) and 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to the chargesheet, Pushkar killed herself by consuming an overdose of antidepressant pills, alprazolam (Alprax), and was driven to taking the extreme step by her husband.

Tharoor, however, dismissed the charge sheet filed by Delhi Police as "preposterous". He took to Twitter to voice his disagreement with the charges against him.

"I have taken note of the filing of this preposterous charge sheet &intend to contest it vigorously. No one who knew Sunanda believes she would ever have committed suicide, let alone abetment on my part. If this is conclusion arrived at after 4+ yrs of investigation, (contd.)," the Congress leader tweeted.

Pushkar was found dead on the evening of January 17, 2014. Though it was a murder probe with the FIR registered under IPC Section 302 (murder), police have charged Tharoor under Sections 306 (abetment) and 498A (cruelty by husband) of the Indian Penal Code.