A Delhi court on Monday sent the case against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who has been accused of involvement in his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s death, to a sessions court for further proceedings. The court also rejected Bharatiya Janata Party MP Subramanian Swamy’s petition seeking to assist the sessions court during the trial, Bar and Bench reported.

Pushkar was found dead in a New Delhi hotel in January 2014. The police have charged Tharoor with abetting suicide. Tharoor has claimed the charges against him were “preposterous and baseless” and a product of a “malicious and vindictive campaign”.

On Monday, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal sent the case to Additional Sessions Judge Arun Bhardwaj, because the offence of abetment of suicide can be tried by a sessions judge. The court also ordered the Delhi Police to preserve its vigilance report in the case.

In November, the court of Samar Vishal had asked the Delhi Police to hand over certain documents related to Pushkar’s death to Tharoor. In August, the Delhi Police gave Tharoor several documents, including statements of witnesses, after the Congress leader filed a petition in the court. However, the leader’s lawyer told the court that certain items of electronic evidence handed over by the prosecution were not in good condition.

Swamy had also filed a plea in the Delhi High Court last year demanding a court-monitored Special Investigation Team inquiry into Pushkar’s death. However, the High Court rejected the plea. The BJP leader then approached the Supreme Court, which transferred the matter to the Patiala House Court. The local court then transferred the case to Magistrate Samar Vishal.