Faith in judiciary stands vindicated: Tharoor after his discharge in Sunanda Pushkar death case

After a Delhi court discharged Shashi Tharoor in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death, the senior Congress leader on Wednesday said his faith in the Indian judiciary stands vindicated and the ruling brings a "significant conclusion to the long nightmare" c.

Special Judge Geetanjali Goel passed the order in a virtual hearing in the case related to Pushkar's death in a luxury hotel here.

Taking to Twitter, Tharoor posted his statement and said, "I would like to express my humble thanks to Judge Geetanjali Goel for her orders today, discharging me from the charges levied by the Delhi Police, which I have consistently described as preposterous."

Tharoor said the ruling brings a significant conclusion to the "long nightmare which had enveloped" him after the tragic passing of his wife.

"I have weathered dozens of unfounded accusations and media vilification patiently, sustained by my faith in the Indian judiciary, which today stands vindicated," the former Union minister said.

In our justice system, the process is all too often the punishment, he noted.

"Nonetheless, the fact that justice has been done, at last, will allow all of us in the family to mourn Sunanda in peace," he said.

In his statement, Tharoor also thanked lawyers, particularly Vikas Pahwa and Gaurav Gupta, for all they had done to bring the case to this conclusion.

During the arguments, while police had sought framing of various charges, including 306 (abetment of suicide), senior advocate Pahwa, appearing for Tharoor, told the court that the investigation conducted by the SIT completely exonerated the politician of all the charges levelled against him.

Pahwa had sought Tharoor's discharge in the case, saying there was no evidence against him to prove the offence.

Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel, as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time.

Tharoor was charged under Sections 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) as well as 306 of the Indian Penal Code by Delhi Police, but was not arrested in the case.

Tharoor was granted anticipatory bail in the matter by a Sessions court on July 5, 2018. Following that order, a magisterial court converted the anticipatory bail into regular bail after he appeared before it on July 7 in pursuance to the summons issued by the Metropolitan Magistrate in the matter.