Sunanda Pushkar death probe: Subramanian Swamy points to ‘mismanagement in evidence collection’ by police

Sunanda Pushkar was found dead on January 17, 2014

STATING that the status report submitted by Delhi Police regarding the death of Sunanda Pushkar showed “mismanagement in collection of evidence, non-cooperation to AIIMS by the first probe team and destruction of evidence”, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has filed an application in the Delhi High Court seeking “action on factual contradictions and evasions” in the report. According to the application, police ordered a vigilance probe by a new dispensation after 2016, but the status report did not mention the date on which the inquiry was ordered, reasons for the inquiry, name of officers probing it and conclusions of the report.

Claiming that police was “misleading and delaying” the case, Swamy’s application said that contrary to the assertion in the status report that no specific reply was received from the AIIMS autopsy board, the hospital had twice sent representations to the police in February and June 2016. Police, the application stated, had falsely said there was “multiplicity of opinions” given by the board.

The plea said police withheld from the board crucial evidence from the “crime scene”. It added, “It is incredible why the entire CCTV footage of Hotel Leela was not kept and who made the decision to determine and keep only the ‘relevant portion’ of footage…” Despite 97 people being examined, out of which 10 were subjected to polygraph test, no chargesheet was filed, it said. So, the plea stated, the court could order a court-monitored SIT probe, which would submit its chargesheet within 45 days.