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Tag: Shashi Tharoor

  • Sunanda Pushkar case: Court reserves order on framing of charges against Shashi Tharoor 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order on the issue of framing of charges against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s death in a luxury hotel here.

    Special Judge Geetanjli Goel, who is likely to pronounce order on April 29, heard arguments from the counsel appearing for Delhi Police as well as Tharoor.

    During the arguments, while police sought framing of various charges, including 306 (abetment of suicide), Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for Tharoor, told the court that the investigation conducted by the SIT completely exonerated the politician of all the charges levelled against him.

    Pahwa sought Tharoor’s discharge in the case, saying there was no evidence against him to prove the offence punishable under either section 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) or 306 (abetment of suicide) of IPC.

    Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014.

    The couple was staying in the hotel, as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time. Tharoor was charged under sections 498A and 306 of the Indian Penal Code by Delhi police, but was not arrested in the case.

    He was granted bail on July 5, 2018.

  • Tharoor claims in court evidence shows Sunanda Pushkar’s death neither suicide or homicide

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor claimed before a Delhi court on Tuesday that evidence showed the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar was neither a suicide nor homicide and sought discharge in the case.

    Tharoor, represented by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, said not even a single witness has made any allegations of dowry, harassment or cruelty against him.

    The submissions were made before Special Judge Geetanjli Goel during arguments on framing of charges in the case.

    The court put up the matter for further hearing on March 26.

    Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014.

    The couple was staying in the hotel, as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time.

    Pahwa said post mortem and other medical reports have allegedly established that it was neither a suicide nor homicide.

    He further said the prosecution cannot assume that it was a suicide and have to establish it.

    “There is no material for framing of charges against Tharoor,” the senior counsel said.

    Pahwa had earlier said there was no evidence against Tharoor to prove the offence punishable under either section 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) or 306 (abetment of suicide) of IPC.

    Pahwa had said her death should be treated as accidental.

    He had also said that during the course of the investigation there have been a plethora of reports by experts before the investigating officer (IO) but there was ‘no definite opinion on the cause of death’.

    He had added that even after years of investigation by the police, the prosecution has failed to conclusively identify the cause of death.

    Pahwa had further submitted before the court that Pushkar was grappling with various medical ailments at the time of her death.

    Pahwa added that “the Investigating Officer erroneously formed an opinion vis-a-vis the commission of an offence. However, reports and other material relied upon in fact exonerates Tharoor from all charges.”

    “The opinion of the Autopsy Board took into consideration circumstantial evidence beyond the four corners of the autopsy room which is not permissible.

    “The Board has failed to substantiate their opinion during the course of the investigation due to which the IO decided to move onto seeking opinion from another Medical Board,” Pahwa told the court.

    Tharoor has been charged under sections 498A and 306 of the Indian Penal Code, but was not arrested in the case.

    He was granted bail on July 5, 2018.

  • No definite opinion on cause of Sunanda’s death, Tharoor tells court; seeks discharge

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, accused in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s death, has told a Delhi court that he should be discharged as various investigations have been conducted by experts but they have not given a “definite opinion on the cause of death”.

    Tharoor, represented by Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa, sought discharge in the case, saying there was no evidence against him to prove the offence punishable under either section 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) or 306 (abetment of suicide) of IPC.

    Pahwa said her death should be treated as accidental. Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014.

    The couple was staying in the hotel, as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time.

    Pahwa told special judge Geetanjli Goel on Wednesday that during the course of the investigation there have been a plethora of reports by experts before the investigating officier (IO) but there was ‘no definite opinion on the cause of death’.

    “These reports have been drafted by some of the nation’s most renowned doctors & forensic experts. Furthermore, a psychological autopsy was conducted in this investigation. All of these reports have one thing in common that is ‘no definite opinion on the cause of death’. As experts have failed to establish death by suicide or homicide, one must conclude that the death would fall into the only remaining category which is accidental death,” Pahwa told.

    He added that even after years of investigation by the police, the prosecution has failed to conclusively identify the cause of death.

    Pahwa further submitted before the court that Pushkar was grappling with various medical ailments at the time of her death.

    “In January 2014, she was not a healthy person. A lady who can’t talk, who was on a wheelchair, who had autoimmune disease, they say such a lady is fit,” he told the court, adding that “when suicide is not established how could the question of abetment to suicide arise”.

    Pahwa added that “the Investigating Officer erroneously formed an opinion vis-a-vis the commission of an offence”.

    “However, reports and other material relied upon in fact exonerates Tharoor from all charges. Such a case has never been seen before, nobody (friends or relatives) filed any complaint or made any statement alleging mental cruelty against Sunanda Pushkar by Tharoor,” he told the court.

    In the absence of any of the essential ingredients of 498A or 306 of IPC it would be absurd to frame such charges, he said.

    “The opinion of the Autopsy Board took into consideration circumstantial evidence beyond the four corners of the autopsy room which is not permissible. The Board has failed to substantiate their opinion during the course of the investigation due to which the IO decided to move onto seeking opinion from another Medical Board,” Pahwa told the court.

    The arguments on charge remained inconclusive and the court will resume the hearing on March 23.

    Tharoor has been charged under sections 498A and 306 of the Indian Penal Code, but was not arrested in the case.

    He was granted bail on July 5, 2018.

  • University campuses have no longer remained inclusive spaces: Shashi Tharoor in Lok Sabha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that university campuses, in the last few years, have no longer remained inclusive spaces that safeguard freedom of expression and individual liberties, and stressed on the need to replace narrow-minded identities with a willingness to embrace differences.

    Initiating the discussion on demands for grants of the Education Ministry in Lok Sabha, he said the budget for the ministry is characterized by a “bizarre series of cuts” and any hope for positive development in the country’s primary and higher education ecosystem has been effectively handicapped by the allocations.

    Tharoor also pointed out that the pandemic has exposed a serious digital divide and he cited instances of students taking their own lives due to lack of access to smartphones when classes moved online.

    He also pitched for having a national computer curriculum.

    “Whether it is JNU, Jamia Milia or Aligarh or so many others, in the last few years, our campuses have no longer remained inclusive spaces that safeguard freedom of expression and individual liberties.”

    “Instead, there has been a systematic effort to alter the character of our colleges and universities through the imposition of a singular and dominating ideology. That is not just an assault on the soul of free, diverse and inclusive India,” he said.

    Tharoor noted that narrow-minded identities need to be replaced by willingness to embrace differences.

    He congratulated the education minister for rolling out the National Education Policy (NEP) but said the budget for the ministry has been characterised by a “bizarre series of cuts” and that allocations have betrayed expectations.

    “Instead of allocations commensurate with the soaring ambitions of the NEP, there is a disconnect between the targets outlined in the NEP and the financial support any hopes for positive development in our primary and higher education ecosystem has been effectively handicapped by budget allocations,” Tharoor said.

    Instead of increasing budgetary allocation for education to six percent of the GDP, Tharoor said it has been actually slashed and is only 2. 67 percent of the government’s estimated expenditure and 3. 2 percent of the GDP.

    According to him, there is an over bureaucratization of universities and that the higher education system is overregulated and under governed.

    There should be a focus on a result-based system with emphasis on learning outcomes, he added.

    Regarding the announcement in the latest Union Budget about setting up 100 new Sainik schools, the Congress leader said there is no information about funding and also flagged that many of the existing Sainik schools are facing severe financial distress and that some are on the verge of closure.

    He challenged the government to set up at least ten new Sainik schools without renaming Jawahar Navodaya Vidayalayas Urging the education minister to ensure there is a discussion in Parliament on the NEP, Tharoor said, “This temple of democracy should not reduced to a notice board and just a budget counting exercise.”

    Participating in the discussion, BJP member Sanjay Jaiswal praised the NEP and said it will change the wrong education being imparted to children in the past.

    He wondered how many children will know about poet Kalidasa who many might know as the Shakespeare of the East.

    Jaiswal also urged the government to do something with respect to coaching centres and to ensure that there are no coaching classes for engineering and medical examinations before a student completes tenth class.

  • Artfully crafted performance: Shashi Tharoor on PM Narendra Modi’s emotional farewell to Ghulam Nabi Azad

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor Wednesday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emotional farewell speech for Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad an “artfully crafted performance”.

    The Prime Minister had turned emotional several times in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday while recalling his close association with Congress leader Azad, whose term in the House ended.

    Participating in a discussion on former Vice President Hamid Ansari’s book “By Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life”, Tharoor said, “It (the farewell speech by the PM) was a very artfully crafted performance.”

    “It was partly in response to Tikait’s tears that he decided he also has tears,” Tharoor said, referring to farmer leader Rakesh Tikait who broke into tears recently while talking about the ongoing farmers’ protests at the Ghazipur border.

    Reminiscing about their long association, Modi said that as chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat, both of them kept in touch with each other.

    Sharing details of their communication during a terror attack on some Gujarati pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said Azad was the first one to call him about the incident.

    With tears rolling down his cheeks, Modi said Azad cried on the call while informing him about the horrific attack.

    “Azad was the first person to call me. During that call he could not stop crying,” the prime minister said in a choked voice as tears rolled down from his eyes.

  • Republic Day violence: SC stays arrest of Tharoor, Sardesai and others in FIRs lodged for tweets

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the arrest of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists in criminal cases pending against them over their tweets on the death of a Sikh man during a tractor rally on January 26 in New Delhi that turned violent.

    A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde issued a notice on the petitions filed by Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai and five other journalists, including Mrinal Pande, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath, Anant Nath and Vinod Jose, to quash the multiple FIRs pending against them in several states.

    ALSO READ | Twitter seeks dialogue with IT Minister after order to block accounts, says safety of staff top priority

    The bench said the stay on the arrest will continue till the next date of hearing, after two weeks, and also issued notices to Delhi Police and Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Haryana.However, the Delhi Police opposed the stay and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for them, said: “We will show the horrendous effect these tweets have had.

    These Twitter handles have lakhs of followers.” Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was representing Tharoor, said interim protection was needed as the Congress leader is in Delhi and the charge is serious.  “The investigating agency can arrest me anytime,” Sibal said. At this, the bench asked Mehta: “We will hear you. But are you going to arrest him?”

    Mehta replied: “We know our responsibility.”  The solicitor general assured that he will convey the assurance to other states. But the bench noted that Mehta was representing only the Delhi Police.  “Issue notice. Stay of arrest in the meantime. List after two weeks,” the bench said.

    The Delhi Police had lodged a case on January 30 against Tharoor and the journalists for alleged misreporting and spreading disharmony.  Simultaneously, cases were lodged at Gurugram in Haryana and in Madhya Pradesh under serious charges of sedition besides provisions of promoting enmity, making assertions prejudicial to national integration under the IPC, among other provisions under the Information Technology Act.

  • Damage to India’s image by government’s ‘obduracy’ can’t be remedied by cricketer’s tweets: Tharoor

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: As several Bollywood and cricketing stars rallied around the government in its pushback to the global celebrities expressing support for farmers’ movement, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said the damage done to India’s global image by the government’s “obduracy and undemocratic behaviour” can’t be remedied by a cricketer’s tweets.

    India hit out at global celebrities such as singer Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg for their support of the farmers’ protests.

    Several Bollywood and cricket stars as well as top ministers also rallied around the government in its pushback.

    “For GoI (government of India) to get Indian celebrities to react to Western ones is embarrassing. The damage done to India’s global image by GoI’s obduracy & undemocratic behaviour can’t be remedied by a cricketer’s tweets,” tweeted Tharoor, who served as the minister of state for external affairs from May 2009-April 2010 during the UPA II government.

    Tharoor’s tweet came after cricketing stars Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Ravi Shastri used the twin hashtags — #IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda — to amplify the pushback to the global celebrities.

    “Withdraw the farm laws & discuss solutions with farmers & you’ll get #IndiaTogether,” tweeted the former UN under secretary general.

    Another senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said it is good that Rihanna and Greta Thunberg can wake up the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

    “Come on MEA, when will you realize that people concerned with issues of human rights and livelihoods do not recognize national boundaries? Why did MEA comment on the military coup in Myanmar? Why is it ‘deeply concerning’ to the MEA?” he said in a series of tweets.

    Why does MEA regularly comment on issues that are “internal” to Sri Lanka and Nepal, the former Union minister asked.

    “Why did the PM of India comment on the assault on the Capitol building in Washington by the Trump storm troopers? It is sad that someone erudite and worldly wise like Mr S Jaishankar should allow such puerile reactions by the MEA,” Chidambaram said.

    Earlier, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, at a press conference, refused to comment on the tweets by the international celebrities extending support to the farmers’ protest, saying “this is our internal matter”.

    Adding to the voices of Rihanna and Thunberg were American actor Amanda Cerni, US Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris, ‘Serendipity’ star John Cusack, who retweeted a post by Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate reading, “Let us talk about what is happening in India right now #FarmersProtest”, and former adult star Mia Khalifa who asked, “What in the human rights violations is going on?! They cut the internet around New Delhi?! #FarmersProtest.”

    In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs earlier slammed the remarks made by Rihanna and other celebrities and activists on farmer protests, saying the facts on the issue must be ascertained before rushing to comment on it, and asserted that the “temptation” of sensationalist social media hashtags and views is “neither accurate nor responsible”.

  • Republic Day violence: Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai move SC against FIRs

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI; Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai have moved the Supreme Court against multiple FIRs registered against them over their alleged “misleading” tweets on the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally here on Republic Day.

    Journalists Mrinal Pande, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath also approached the top court on Tuesday evening against the FIRs.

    On January 30, Delhi Police had filed a case against Tharoor, Sardesai, The Caravan and others.

    Earlier, Tharoor and six journalists were booked by the Noida Police for sedition, among other charges, over the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi, officials had said.

    Madhya Pradesh police has also filed a case against Tharoor and the six journalists over their alleged ”misleading” tweets on the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi.

    On January 26, thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor rally called by farmer unions to highlight their demand for repeal of the Centre’s three farm laws.

  • BJP has ‘torn to shreds’ dignity of democracy: Priyanka Gandhi on FIR against Shashi Tharoor, journalists

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday hit out at the BJP over FIRs filed against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists, alleging that the ruling party has “torn to shreds” the “dignity of democracy” by this action.

    The Congress general secretary said the trend of the BJP government threatening public representatives and journalists by filing FIRs is “very dangerous”.

    “Respecting democracy is not the government’s prerogative but it is its responsibility. The atmosphere of fear is like poison for democracy,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

    भाजपा सरकार द्वारा पत्रकारों एवं जन प्रतिनिधियों को FIR कर धमकाने का चलन बहुत ही खतरनाक है। लोकतंत्र का सम्मान सरकार की मर्ज़ी नहीं बल्कि उसका दायित्व है। भय का माहौल लोकतंत्र के लिए ज़हर के समान है।..1/2
    — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) January 30, 2021

    “The BJP government has torn to shreds the dignity of democracy by FIRs against senior journalists and public representatives,” she said.

    Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists have been booked by the Noida Police for sedition, among other charges, over the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi, officials said on Thursday.

    The journalists named in the FIR are Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod Jose, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath.

    An unidentified person has also been named in the FIR.

    Madhya Pradesh police have also filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Tharoor and the six journalists over their ‘misleading’ tweets on the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi.

  • Now, MP Police books Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai, others for spreading misinformation

    Express News Service
    BHOPAL: As many as four criminal cases have been registered against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, journalist Rajdeep Sardesai and others in three districts of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh for allegedly spreading misinformation on social media about the January 26 farmers’ tractor rally.

    The FIRs were lodged on the complaints of farmers. Among the accused are Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai (India Today), Mrinal Pandey (National Herald) Zafar Agha (Urdu daily Qaumi Awaz), and Paresh Nath, Anant Nath, and Vinod Jose (The Caravan).

    The cases have been lodged at Misrod police station of Bhopal and the Sarani and Multai police stations of Betul and Shivpur police station of Hoshangabad district.

    The cases have been registered under IPC Sections, including 124-A (sedition),153-A (promoting enmity between groups), 153-B (imputation or assertion prejudicial to national integration), 295-A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings), Section 504 (intentional insult), Section 506 (criminal intimidation), 505(2) (statements conducing public mischief), 298 (uttering words, etc with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), 120-B (criminal conspiracy to commit offence punishable by death) and 34 (acts done by several persons with a common intent).

    While confirming the lodging of the four FIRs, the in-charges of the four police stations said investigations are now underway in all the cases.  

    ALSO READ | FIR against Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai others for seditious tweets on farmer’s death during tractor rally

    Complainants farmer Balmukund Singh Dongre (who filed FIR at the Multai police station in Betul district) said, “I belong to a family whose prime occupation has been farming for many generations. We all were backing the farmers’ stir until the violent incidents happened in Delhi on Republic Day.”

    “The Republic Day violence is condemnable. No farmer can attack the police. Farmer is Anndaataa and not Atankwadi who will disrespect the national flag. All those involved in the violence shouldn’t be spared at any cost,” Dongre said.

    “Instead of behaving responsibly, prominent citizens, including Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor and senior journalists such as Rajdeep Sardesai and Mrinal Pandey spread misinformation about a farmer being died after being hit by bullets fired by police during the tractor rally, which was ultimately responsible for adding fuel to the massive violence across the national capital thereafter. All those named in the FIR should be sternly dealt with under the law of the land, which is why I have lodged a case against them,” the young farmer said. 

    Earlier, on Thursday a similar FIR was registered against the same persons by the Uttar Pradesh police.