Sunanda Pushkar's social media texts can be treated as 'dying declaration,' says prosecution; Delhi Court reserves order

A Delhi court today reserved for June 5 its order on whether to summon senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor as an accused in the Sunanda Pushkar death case. 

During the hearing, Prosecution quoted from the chargessheet and explained why this case was of abetment to suicide and cruelty. It said that, "her (Sunand Pushkar) statements on social media can be treated as dying declaration. Sunanda's death is due to poisoning."

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal said he would pass the order after the counsel for prosecution said there was enough evidence to summon Tharoor.

The Delhi Police had on May 14 accused the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, of abetting Pushkar's suicide and told a city court that he should be summoned as an accused in the four-and-half year-old case, claiming there was sufficient evidence against him.

In a nearly 3,000-page chargesheet, the police has named Tharoor as the only accused while also alleging that he had subjected his wife to cruelty. It had also urged the court to summon Tharoor as an accused.

The couple's domestic servant, Narayan Singh, has been named one of the key witnesses in the case.

Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel room on the night of January 17, 2014.

The Congress leader has been charged under sections 498 A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.

Under section 498A, the maximum punishment is up to three years of imprisonment, while jail term up to 10 years is prescribed under section 306.

An FIR was registered by Delhi Police on January 1, 2015 against unknown persons under IPC section 302 (murder).

According to prosecution sources, the chargesheet has mentioned that Pushkar was allegedly subjected to mental as well as physical cruelty. Tharoor has not been arrested in the case.