File photo of Sunanda Pushkar.

NEW DELHI: Saying that there's no precedent for keeping a crime scene locked till cops receive all forensic results, a city court said on Tuesday that Delhi Police 's request to keep Hotel Leela's room 345, where Sunanda Pushkar's body was found, sealed for some more time was “not justified“.

The suite has remained sealed since January 17, 2014. Metropolitan magistrate Dharmender Singh gave police time till September 26 to collect any “incriminating material“ it felt would be needed for investigations into Pushkar's death and file a compliance report before that date. “The suite is sealed for about three and a half years, and already a huge financial loss has been caused to the applicant... Generally after inspection of the crime spot by the FSL team or investigating agency , the spot is not sealed or closed till the arrival of FSL results,“ the court observed.

The court had earlier pulled up Delhi Police for delay in desealing the room, following a July 21 order asking for it. On Tuesday, the police, represented by DCP (south) Ishwar Singh, sought more time, arguing that the FSL results were awaited.

“The reason for seeking extension is not justified and no investigation agencyFSL team is at liberty to visit the suite and collect whatever materialarticle for the purpose of investigation,“ the court said.

Advocate Madhav Khurana, who appeared for the hotel, argued that no fresh evidence can be obtained by keeping the room sealed. DCP Ishwar Singh insisted in court that FSL officials be summoned because forensic results in the case were pending with them.

Khurana, however, called it a “delaying tactic“ while extending cooperation in the investigation by offering a separate place for storing any incriminating material.

Earlier, the hotel had urged the court to pass directions for desealing the suite, saying insects and bugs had infested the room that has remained locked since January 17, 2014. No police team had visited it for over a year, the hotel said.

Leela also submitted in court that there were 17 suites in the hotel, with tariff ranging from Rs 55,000 to Rs 61,000 per night, depending on the season. A source said the hotel was incurring a huge loss on account of suite number 345 remaining locked.

Pushkar, wife of former Union minister Shashi Tharoor , was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Leela Palace Hotel at Chanakyapuri on January 17, 2014.

Times View

It is absolutely ridiculous that the police should have been allowed to hold on to the suite for over three-and-a-half years on the grounds that it is the scene of the crime and they need to look for further evidence.The room is part of a hotel and the hotel obviously has a right to use it for its purposes. We could argue about whether the police should be allowed to seal it a couple of weeks or maybe a little more, but hardly anyone would consider three years and more a legitimate period to keep the room sealed for investigation.



In Video: Sunanda Pushkar death: Court asks police to de-seal hotel suite