Cops dragging Sunanda probe: HC

New Delhi: A Delhi court took the police to task on Monday for its “lethargic attitude” in completing the investigation into the death of Sunanda Pushkar, the wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in a five-star hotel suite in 2014.

The court was hearing a plea by the hotel’s management seeking de-sealing of the suite where Ms Pushkar had died under mysterious circumstances.

The court summoned the deputy commissioner of police and asked him to appear before it on September 12 and explain why more time should be granted to the police to complete its probe as over three years have already lapsed.

“Due to the lethargic attitude of Delhi police, the plaintiff (hotel) has suffered a lot,” metropolitan magistrate Dharm-ender Singh, said observing that in the name of probe, the hotel has incurred huge financial losses.

It may be noted Ms Pushkar was found dead in the suite of the South Delhi hotel on January 17, 2014. The suite was sealed on that night itself. The police lodged an FIR on January 1, 2015 against unknown persons under IPC Section 302 (murder).

The court’s directions came after the police, in its status report filed on the judge’s direction, said teams of forensic experts had visited the suite recently and collected various evidence, reports of which were still awaited.

“Till the reports indicate ‘no further requirement’, the suite cannot be opened,” the police said and sought more time to complete the probe.

The court had on July 21 ordered de-sealing of the suite within four weeks, saying the hotel cannot be made to suffer due to laxity on part of the police.

The hotel submitted before the court that locking of the suite was creating sanitary and cleanliness issues for it. Due to the suite’s sealing, the hotel had incurred a loss Rs 50 lakh in the past three years, which works out to between Rs 55,000 and Rs 61,000 per night.