New Delhi: In a sensational twist to the mysterious death of Shashi Tharoor’s wife Sunanda Pushkar, Delhi Police on Tuesday registered a case of murder after a medical report said her death was unnatural and was caused due to poisoning but nobody has been named as a suspect as yet.
Disclosing this, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi did not rule out questioning Tharoor, now a Congress MP and a former Union Minister. It was not clear whether she had consumed the poison on her own or it was administerd forcefully or by injection, he said. Nearly a year after 51-year-old Sunanda was found dead in a luxury hotel here on January 17, Delhi Police filed the case of murder under section 302 of the IPC but no one has been named in the FIR.
“Nobody has been named in the case,” Bassi told reporters in reply to questions. Sunanda’s death had created a sensation as it came hot on the heels of a bitter spat between the couple over the twitter over his alleged affair with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar. “On 29th December, the medical board of AIIMS has given us a report. The main thing they have informed us is that the death is unnatural and not natural. Secondly, it is due to poison that could have been taken orally given or injected and they have told us other things as well,” Bassi said.
Bassi said since tests to find out the quantum and nature of the poison cannot take place in India, the police have decided to send samples abroad for examination. “So it was necesary that a case be registered. We have registered a case and we will investigate,” he said in reply to questions. Asked whether Tharoor would be questioned in the light of the latest development, Bassi said, “Now as we have registered a case of murder, all those people who were connected with the case will be examined.”
“All the witnesses in this case were examined by the SDM, as he conducted inquest proceedings. So, all relevant witnesses were examined by him, we had also examined them under Section 174 of the Cr.PC. “Now as we have registered a case of murder, all those people connected with the case will be examined,” he said.
Bassi said the AIIMS report has not specified the nature of the poison and how it was administered into her body. The substance is still not clear but the death is due to poisoning, he said. (PTI)
