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Police seek more time to inspect scene of Sunanda Pushkar's death

Earlier, Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma, on July 21, had ordered de-sealing of the suite within four weeks, saying the hotel could not be put through unending hardships due to laxity on part of the police.

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Delhi police has sought more time to send a forensics team to conduct inspection of the suite in five star Hotel Leela where Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in 2014.

Information about the visit was provided in court after the counsel appearing for the hotel management claimed they had received a letter from Delhi police on Friday.

Earlier, Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma, on July 21, had ordered de-sealing of the suite within four weeks, saying the hotel could not be put through unending hardships due to laxity on part of the police.

Metropolitan Magistrate Dharmendra Singh rapped the Delhi police for its delay in de-sealing the suite while referring to the order passed by his predecessor, Pankaj Sharma .

According to the letter sent to hotel authorities, Delhi police had said they would send a Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) team on September 1.

"Why did you take two months to inform the hotel you will need more time," the court asked the police.

The court, however, allowed the cop's plea which sought one more opportunity to file the compliance report in the court regarding de-sealing of the suite. It directed the agency to file the report on September 4.

The court also directed Delhi police to file a compliance report by August 19 in this regard thereby permitting them to take the articles lying inside the suite with due care for the purpose of investigation. It further observed that if investigating authorities cannot complete the probe due to some exceptional circumstances, then they can approach the court by application for further extension of time with an advance notice to Hotel Leela.

In a plea filed by hotel authorities, they had claimed that due to the sealing of the suite, which costs between Rs 55,000 and Rs 61,000 a night, it had suffered a loss of over Rs 50 lakh in the last three years.

It claimed that a number of times, police and forensics teams had visited the suite and it was no longer required to be kept sealed.

"The hotel continues to suffer a loss with each passing day. Continuous sealing of the suite is also affecting the use of other rooms/suites on the same floor," it had said.

Pushkar was found dead in the suite of the South Delhi hotel on the night of January 17, 2014. The suite was sealed on that night itself for investigation.

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