Sunanda Pushkar death: Took nearly a year to find if AIIMS meant homicide

It is, however, not established if the poison was administered orally or injected. “Until now, we did not have a conclusive report from AIIMS suggesting that it could be homicidal. Now  that we have a definite basis, since the final findings indicate a homicide, we have registered a case of murder and will investigate the case from this angle,” a source said.

The AIIMS doctors, however, maintained that they have stuck to the findings that they gave in their initial report and have not mentioned “homicide” in the report. A source said, “Homicide is not a forensic term. From the beginning, we maintained that it is an unnatural death due to poisoning and stuck to it in the clarifications to the police even in the conclusive report. Now it is up to the investigating agencies to establish whether it was a suicide or a murder.”

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said the police took one year to file the case as the report submitted by AIIMS initially was just an interim report and not a conclusive one. Several clarifications were sought since the report on September 30 in which the viscera findings came negative for poison, to December 29 in which the doctors have maintained that the death was ‘sudden and unnatural’ due to ‘poisoning’, which led to delay.

Also, the police were asked to investigate a few things pointed out by AIIMS, included submission of photographs of the crime spot, forensic testing of the mattress where Pushkar was found and statement of the doctor who attended to Pushkar after her death at the hotel. Inquest proceedings in the matter were on, the police said.

The police have now formed a special team to investigate the murder case and several persons including Shashi Tharoor will be questioned, sources said.

Never thought there was foul play: Shashi Tharoor

Hours after Commissioner Bassi’s remarks, Tharoor said in a statement that he was “stunned to hear that the Delhi Police have filed a case of murder against unknown persons in the demise of my wife Sunanda”. He said, “Needless to say I am anxious to see this case is investigated thoroughly and continue to assure the police of my full cooperation. Although we never thought of any foul play in the death of my wife, we all want that a comprehensive investigation be conducted and that the unvarnished truth should come out.”

Tharoor further said he had not been provided with copies of the post-mortem report and other reports of the inquiry, like the CFSL report, till date.

Reacting to the development, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, “It is part of a legal process. Every person, and I am not talking of anybody in particular, has full right to be treated as completely innocent unless and until a process of laws goes beyond and further…I think we must maintain this sense of balance. It is also most important not to sensationalise it.”    ENS