The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Tuesday summoned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and asked him to appear before it on July 7 in the Sunanda Pushkar death case.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal took cognisance of Tharoor's alleged offences of abetment of suicide and committing cruelty towards Pushkar.
"I have heard the prosecutor. I have gone through and perused the charge sheet and the documents filed along with it. On the basis of police report (charge sheet), I take cognisance of offence of abetment of suicide of late Sunanda Pushkar and committing cruelty upon her by Dr Shashi Tharoor," the judge said.
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"There exists sufficient grounds to proceed against Tharoor for commission of offences of Section 306 and 498 A of IPC. Issue summons to him for appearance for July 7," the court added.
Tharoor dubbed the charges against him as "preposterous and baseless" and the product of a malicious and vindictive campaign against him that he will vigorously contest.
In a statement, he said he maintains steadfast conviction that ultimately the truth will prevail through the judicial system.
"I would like to reiterate my position that I find the charges preposterous and baseless, the product of a malicious and vindictive campaign against myself.
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"I will continue to vigorously contest these charges and maintain steadfast conviction that ultimately the truth will prevail through the judicial system that we are privileged to have in our country," he said.
He, however, refused to speak further and urged the media to respect his and his family's right to privacy as the matter is sub-judice.
"I will refrain from commenting on this issue further until such time as the next scheduled hearing of the case," he said.
Tharoor said he has taken note of the developments in the case being heard by the Patiala House Court in relation to the circumstances surrounding the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.
He said from the very start, he has fully cooperated with the investigating team and continue to maintain that due legal process must be followed in all aspects related to this case.
Earlier on May 24, a Delhi court, which was hearing the case, transferred the matter to Vishal.
The Delhi Police had on May 14 filed a charge sheet in the court, in which they named Tharoor as an accused, under sections 306 (Abetment of suicide) and 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Tharoor, however, dismissed the charge sheet filed by Delhi Police as "preposterous".
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In a nearly 3,000-page charge sheet, the police has named Tharoor as the only accused while also alleging that he had subjected his wife to cruelty.
The couple's domestic servant, Narayan Singh, has been named one of the key witnesses in the case.
Pushkar was found dead in the suite of a luxury hotel in south Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.
The Congress leader has been charged under sections 498 A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
Under section 498A, the maximum punishment is up to three years of imprisonment, while jail term up to 10 years is prescribed under section 306.
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The charge sheet, which includes several annexures including medical reports, said that Pushkar died within four years of her marriage with Tharoor. The couple had entered the wedlock on August 22, 2010.
The suite of the South Delhi hotel, where Pushkar had died, was sealed by the police on the night of her death for investigation. An FIR was registered by Delhi Police on January 1, 2015 against unknown persons under IPC section 302 (murder).
According to prosecution sources, the charge sheet has mentioned that Pushkar was allegedly subjected to mental as well as physical cruelty. Tharoor has not been arrested in the case.
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The special investigation team (SIT) on April 20 had told the apex court that a draft final report has been prepared after conducting "thorough professional and scientific investigations" in the case relating to the death of Congress MP's wife.
The Delhi High Court had last year on October 26 dismissed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking court-monitored SIT probe into the death of Pushkar, terming his PIL as a "textbook example of a political interest litigation", instead of public interest litigation or a PIL.
Later, Swamy had moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order. The top court had then asked him to satisfy it on the question of maintainability of his plea.
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(With agency inputs)
