Unexplained delays

For the past six months, due to the unexplained delays from the Delhi Police, the trial in the Sunanda case is getting delayed. This time too, on Monday, Dec 24th, the case was postponed to Jan 8, 2019, simply because the accused Shashi Tharoor’s complaint that certain copies of documents in the chargesheet given by Delhi Police is not complete and certain documents in digital format are not accessible. As per the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr PC) 207, the Police is bound to submit all copies of documents in the chargesheet to the accused to start the argument on framing of charges by the Court. What is mind boggling is why Delhi Police is dilly-dallying in Sunanda’s mysterious death case, which is widely suspected to be a brutal murder.

Delhi Police on May 14, 2018, submitted the first chargesheet with Sunanda’s husband and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Though the First Information Report (FIR) not naming anyone was registered in January 2015 (one year after the mysterious death in Hotel Leela on January 17, 2014) under charges of murder (IPC 302), the Delhi Police filed charge sheeted only Tharoor for pushing wife to suicide (IPC 306). The Delhi Police was forced to act, after BJP leader Subramanian Swamy approached the Supreme Court. While filing the chargesheet, Delhi Police told the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal that the probe is still going on and that they will file it as soon as they are finished.

Subramanian Swamy intervened on the case and pointed out that there were 12 injury marks on her body and the post-mortem report clearly showed these aspects and also explained the angle of poison on her body. Delhi Police had told the Court in May 2018 that they are probing the angle of 12 injury marks on her body and will soon file a supplementary chargesheet. Now more than six months have passed and the Delhi Police are still dawdling on this crucial aspect, which is expected to expose the murder angle in the case.

Swamy also demanded that Delhi Police submit its 2016 Vigilance Probe report that found the first investigation team headed by the then Joint Commissioner Vivek Gogia to have literally sabotaged the probe[1]. The Vigilance Report clearly indicted the first probe team officers who did not even hand over the crucial evidence collected from the death spot to post-mortem conducting doctors in AIIMS. This was seen as an attempt to portray Sunanda’s death as a natural one[2].

Moreover the AIIMS report clearly shows that Shashi Tharoor had emailed the doctors suggesting his wife’s death as a natural one[3]. This is a clear case of attempt to intervene in the probe, which is a serious offence under Indian Penal Code (IPC) 200. Why is the Police not charging Tharoor for intervening into the post-mortem and trying to influence doctors by sending false information through emails?

After the settling of documents by the Delhi Police and the accused, the case will be transferred to the Sessions Court, as the charges are serious. More than six months have elapsed in the basic settling of documents due to the unexplained attitude of Delhi Police.

Who are you working for, Delhi Police?

The Delhi Police is delaying the trial in Sunanda case for past six months… Why? Why not complete investigating the 12 injury marks on the body and AIIMS findings of possible poison in her body? Why is it not taking action against Vivek Gogia and other police officers who tried to save Tharoor?

Is someone or a powerful gang obstructing the Delhi Police? Sunanda and Shashi Tharoor’s relationship happened in the backdrop of IPL into which billions were and are being pumped. Delhi Police has not yet given the full details to Enforcement Directorate in this regard. Has some coterie asked Delhi Police to go slow on Sunanda case?

References:

[1] Vigilance points to serious lapses in Sunanda probe – May 29, 2018, The Pioneer

[2] Sunanda case – Delhi Police hush up Vigilance Report exposing sabotage of investigation by first probe team led by Jt. Commissioner Vivek Gogia – Jul 7, 2018, PGurus.com

[3] Shashi Tharoor tried all tricks to fool AIIMS doctors during the post-mortem of Sunanda – May 28, 2017, PGurus.com