Charges against me a product of malicious, vindictive campaign : Shashi Tharoor

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who has been summoned to face trial in a case related to the death of his wife said on Tuesday that allegations against him are a product of a "malicious" and "vindictive" campaign and the truth will eventually prevail.


In a statement released on his official Twitter account, Tharoor said — "I would like to reiterate my position that I find the charges preposterous and baseless, the product of a malicious and vindictive campaign against myself. I will continue to vigorously contest these charges and maintain my steadfast conviction that ultimately the truth will prevail.”

He, however, refused to speak further and urged the media to respect his and his family's right to privacy as the matter is sub-judice.

"I will refrain from commenting on this issue further until such time as the next scheduled hearing of the case," he said.

Earlier today, a Delhi court took cognizance of the chargesheet naming Tharoor filed by Delhi police in the death of his wife, Sunanda Pushkar.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Samar Vishal took cognizance of Tharoor's alleged offences of abetment of suicide and committing cruelty towards Pushkar.

"I have heard the prosecutor. I have gone through and perused the chargesheet and the documents filed along with it. On the basis of the police report (chargesheet), I take cognizance of the offence of abetment of suicide of late Sunanda Pushkar and committing cruelty upon her by Dr Shashi Tharoor," the judge said.

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.

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

Tharoor 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).

(With inputs from agencies)Read story in Marathi