'Politics' behind allegations against Shashi Tharoor, says AK Antony

New Delhi, July 3: Former union minister and Congress leader AK Antony on Tuesday came out in strong defence of Shashi Tharoor in connection with the death of latter's wife Sunanda Pushkar. Antony said that he does not believe in allegations levelled against Tharoor, adding, "I think there is politics in the allegations".

On June 5, a court had summoned Tharoor as accused, asking him to appear before it on July 7 and saying there were sufficient grounds to proceed against him. Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel room on the night of January 17, 2014. Tharoor today moved an anticipatory bail plea in Delhi's Patiala House Court in connection with the case.

"Legal procedures in the case are underway. But I don't believe allegations against Shashi Tharoor. I had a good relationship with his family when they got married. I think there is politics in the allegations.Let the court decide," Antony, a former defence minister, told the media.

Tharoor was earlier summoned as an accused by a magisterial court for the alleged offences of abetment of suicide and committing cruelty towards Pushkar. In his plea filed through advocate Vikas Pahwa, Tharoor said the charge sheet has been filed without arrest and the SIT (special investigation team) has categorically stated that investigation has been concluded and no custodial interrogation is required.

Tharoor had on June 5 issued a statement regarding the Sunanda Pushkar death case and said that the charges filed against him were "preposterous and baseless".

According to the charge sheet, the Delhi Police is claiming that Sunanda was harassed and subjected to cruelty by Tharoor to the point of being driven to suicide. Section 498A makes it an offence for a husband or a husband's relative to subject a woman to cruelty, punishable by three years' imprisonment.