Sunanda Pushkar Case: Delhi Court Directs Police To File Reply in Tharoor's Plea Seeking Preservation Of Pushkar's Twitter Account

Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar at Rouse Avenue Court has directed Delhi Police to file a reply ina plea moved by Shashi Tharoor seeking preservation of Sunanda Pushkar's Twitter account.

Moved by Senior Counsel Vikas Pahwa, who's representing Tharoor in the present case, the plea seeks a direction to be issued to the probe agencies to ask Twitter to preserve Sunanda Pushkar's Twitter account.

Today, Mr Pahwa informed the court that as per Twitter's inactive account policy, the social media website deactivates those accounts which remain dormant for long. He said:

'Twitter's policy considers inactivity of 6 months as prolonged. Pushkar's account has been inactive since 2014.'

Citing Pushkar's tweets as vital evidence for defence, Mr Pahwa sought a direction to be issued to the Investigating Officer to make a representation before Twitter asking it to preserve the same.

In addition to this, Tharoor moved another application seeking exemption from personal appearance on medical grounds. It was informed to the court that he has been bed ridden for weeks.

Earlier, the court had rejected Tharoor's application under section 91 of Criminal Procedure Code, seeking a copy of Pushkar's tweets up until her death.

However, while rejecting that application the court did observe that the accused will be allowed to place these documents at the appropriate stage of the trial.

Sunanda Pushkar died on January 17, 2014. As per the case of the prosecution, she died of poisoning due to consumption of Alprazolam.

Delhi Police has pressed charges against Tharoor under sections 498A, 306 or alternatively 302 of Indian Penal Code. Currently, Shashi Tharoor is out on bail.