HC questions police over delay in probe into Sunanda's death

A bench of Justices G S Sistani and Chander Shekhar said the police had collected evidence in the matter in February 2015, but was yet to get the final result of the electronic evidence they seized in the case including that of the close friends of Tharoor and Pushkar.

"This (collection of evidence) is something that happened in February 2015. Why has the police not been able to get the final result even after two years," the bench asked.

The court said it has to look into the aspect of a delay.

"We are also concerned as to who is the real culprit," it said. "Here is somebody who passed away back in 2014 and you (police) initially said it was a case of suicide, but later it turned out to be one of homicide," the bench said.

The court's observations came during hearing of plea by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy who has sought a court-monitored CBI-led special investigation (SIT) probe into Pushkar's death.

Tharoor's stepson Shiv Menon has sought his impleadment as a party in the matter after Swamy moved the court seeking a probe.

Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for Menon, has also questioned Swamy's locus in seeking such a probe alleging that he was doing it only for publicity.

Objecting to the locus issue of the petitioner raised by Menon's counsel, Swamy said, "There is no lack when it comes to publicity and I am a national-level politician."

He said he was only trying to stop the police from covering up the investigation in

the case.

Swamy alleged that Pushkar's son is not at all interested in knowing the reason behind the death of his mother and is only interested in her property in Canada.

"He (Menon) was in jail in Dubai in connection with a narcotics case. Tharoor got him out," Swamy claimed.

The BJP leader said that he could show a letter which "proved" that Menon was "concerned" about his

mother's property. Agencies