Sunanda Pushkar death: Court raps police over hotel suite

Delhi Police submitted an application stating that they needed more time as the report by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was awaited. Police submitted that they need the suite sealed till the FSL says that they don’t need it any “further”. Earlier, police, in their status report, had said they have not been able to reach a “definitive conclusion” regarding Pushkar’s death.

Appearing for Hotel Leela, Madhav Khurana said they will take out each and everything in the suite and keep it in a room in the basement. “Whatever is there, please take it out… carpets, beds, linen. We will take out everything in their (police’s) supervision and keep it in a room in the hotel’s basement… There was a dead person found… there was no blood oozing out… no semen. What is left there to investigate?” Khurana said.
He reiterated before the court that the hotel is suffering financial losses because the suite has been locked for so long.

The court directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police concerned to be present in court and explain why, even after more than three-and-a-half years, the police need “more time to investigate”. In July, the then M M, Pankaj Sharma, had also pulled up Delhi Police, stating that the hotel cannot be put into “unending” hardship because of the investigation. He had on July 21 ordered the police to de-seal the suite in four weeks. However, he had also granted liberty to Delhi Police to file an application seeking more time for probe if they cannot conclude the investigation within the given time.