Sunanda Pushkar death case: Delhi Police ordered to de-seal Hotel Leela's suite
The Patiala House Court in Delhi on 12 September directed the Delhi Police to de-seal the Hotel Leela's suite no. 345 where Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda pushkar was found dead, back in 2014.
The court ordered the concerned authorities to de-seal the room within four weeks.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ishwar Singh appeared before the court to submit the reports of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) team and demand more time for investigation. The report stated that the police are still waiting for the reports from the CFSL team.
The court denied the police an extension on the grounds that the suite has been sealed for three and a half years and that the applicant is facing huge financial losses.
The court further granted liberty to the Police to take anything from the room which they deemed to be important for the investigation.
The court has further instructed the Delhi Police to file the compliance report by September 26.
Earlier on August 30, the Leela Hotel told the court that the police had sent a letter to the hotel, saying that the CFSL will have to visit the hotel again on September 1 to collect further evidence, and hence the room can't be de-sealed yet.
The lawyer representing the hotel told the court that the room had been sealed since 2015, and that no evidence was collected.
On July 14, acting on a plea filed by Hotel Leela Palace seeking to de-seal the room, the court had sought a damage report of the sealed suite from the Delhi Police.
Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma asked the Investigating Officer of the case to file the reply by July 21.
On July 12, the Delhi High Court adjourned the hearing of the Sunanda Pushkar's death case on a plea by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy till July 20.
Swamy on July 6 had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court seeking a court-monitored enquiry into the mysterious death of Pushkar.
The Delhi High Court had asked the Home Ministry, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Delhi Police to file their stand on the current status in the matter.
Sunanda Pushkar was found dead on the night of 17 January 2014.
-ANI
