BIG DEVELOPMENT: Mehr Tarar made key witness in Sunanda Pushkar death case, even as Shashi Tharoor seeks bail

Hours after Congress leader Shashi Tharoor applied for anticipatory bail in the Sunanda Pushkar death case, Republic TV has accessed exclusive details of the chargesheet that has been filed by the Delhi Police.

One-hundred-and-sixty witnesses have been named in the around 3000-page chargesheet, including Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar who has been mentioned as a key witness.

As per sources, the Delhi Police has questioned Tarar in the case already and the chargesheet also mentions details of the alleged relationship between Sunanda Pushkar's husband Shashi Tharoor and Mehr Tarar.

Further, the chargesheet also contains references to the tweets that were exchanged between Sunanda Pushkar and Mehr Tarar in the last few days before Pushkar's death.

Earlier on Tuesday, Shashi Tharoor had applied for anticipatory bail at the Patiala House Court in Delhi that had summoned him as an accused in the case. The move came a day after Tharoor's counsel accessed the chargesheet and it will be heard on Wednesday at 10 am.

Tharoor's counsel, Sr Advocate Vikas Pahwa, said the following after the bail application was filed:

"The chargesheet has been filed without arrest. The SIT has categorically stated in the chargesheet that investigation is concluded and all requisite material & evidence have been collected and no custodial interrogation of any person is required. The law is very clear that if the chargesheet is filed without arrest the bail is inevitable. We have only requested for protection so that we appear in the court on 7th July."

During a hearing on June 7, the judge had taken cognisance of the Delhi Police's chargesheet against Tharoor where charges had been admitted against him under IPC 306 (Abetment to suicide) and IPC 498 (Cruelty).

Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a suite of a five-star hotel in Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014. A number of investigative reports by Republic TV have highlighted the Delhi Police's shortcomings in the case prior to the chargesheet finally being filed.