A Delhi court on Monday reprimanded the city’s police for its “lethargic attitude” in the investigation into the death of Sunanda Pushkar, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s wife, in a five-star hotel suite in 2014.

The court was hearing a plea by the hotel’s management that asked for the suite where Pushkar died to be opened. Pushkar was found dead on the night of January 17, 2014. The suite was sealed the same night.

The court asked the Deputy Commissioner of Police to appear before it on September 12 and explain why the police should get more time to complete investigation. The court pointed out that more than three years had passed since her death. “Owing to the lethargic attitude of the Delhi police, the plaintiff (hotel) has already suffered a lot,” Metropolitan Magistrate Dharmender Singh said, observing that the hotel had faced huge financial losses.

The court’s directions came after the police, in a status report filed on the judge’s direction, said forensic teams had recently visited the suite and collected evidence, reports of which were awaited. “Till these reports clearly indicate ‘no further requirement’, the suite cannot be opened,” the police said while asking for more time to complete the investigation.

The court had on July 21 ordered the suite be opened in four weeks, saying the hotel cannot be put to unending hardship. The hotel told the court that having the suite locked was not only creating sanitary issues but also caused it severe losses. The suite costs between Rs 55,000 and Rs 61,000 a night.