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Sunanda Pushkar: AIIMS medical board confirms death due to poisoning

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sunanda pushkar

New Delhi: Sunanda Pushkar died of “poisoning” with the AIIMS medical board, which gave its opinion on the FBI report on her viscera samples, unanimously concluding that there was presence of anxiety drug Alprax in her stomach.

However, the board did not rule out the possibility of any injectable poison, in view of a particular mark on Sunanda’s body, and said that the FBI report confirmed the presence of lidocaine in her body, said the medical board’s opinion communicated to Delhi Police.

The report ruled out death due to combination of drugs and also said that the medical board is “highly afraid” that this case may have led to a complete “botched up” scenario in absence of the FBI report. It also said that the Special Investigation team (SIT) probing the case should “thoroughly investigate” if any person had access to injectable agents in view of a syringe mark spotted in Sunanda’s body.

“The Medical Board unanimously concluded that the cause of death in this case is poisoning. “The circumstantial recovery of empty Alprex Tablets (27 tablets) and report of FBI which shows the presence of Alprax in stomach and its contents, spleen, liver section, half of each kidney, blood sample, as well as urine wet clothing, bed cover and bed sheet confirmed the death is due to excessive ingestion of Tablet Alprazolam,” the written opinion reads.

It further said, “The Medical Board does not rule out any injectable poison in view of injury number 10 which is an injection prick mark and the same is subsequently clarified by KIMS Hospital as well as the confirmation of presence of lidocaine in FBI report… The dozens of unexplained injuries including teeth bite mark are suggestive of active scuffle prior to death.”

The board also said that the fatal dose of Alprax is completely variable from person to person, physical conditions and medical history/duration/dose of intake of Alprax. Exceeding the prescribed dose leads to poisoning.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi Friday refused to comment on the medical board’s opinion and said that necessary information regarding the case will be shared once the investigation is complete and a report is submitted at the court.

“I would not like to enter into speculations. What is being published or broadcasted in the media could be right or could be wrong. At this point of time, I won’t be able to say anything conclusive.

“Once the investigation is complete, we shall send a report to the court. At that point we shall brief media about our findings. And I can assure that the investigation will be complete as early as possible,” Bassi told reporters.

In January last year, Delhi Police had registered a case of murder in connection with the death of Sunanda. An Aiims medical board had found poisoning as reason for her death following which the police had sent her viscera samples to an FBI lab in Washington last year.

The FBI had sent its report to Delhi Police two months back. The report said the radiation levels in Sunanda’s viscera samples were “within the standard safety norms” besides mentioning other details. As police could not firm up about cause of the death based on the FBI report, they requested a medical board of Aiims to analyse the contents of the report.

The head of the Aiims medical board, which gave its opinion last week on the cause of Sunanda Pushkar’s death, on Tuesday had said that Delhi Police caused “unnecessary delay” in sending Sunanda’s viscera sample to the FBI lab on account of which its contents degraded.

“By the time the FBI lab got the viscera samples, the contents had already degraded. There was an unnecessary delay on part of Delhi Police in sending the viscera samples of Pushkar to FBI,” Aiims Forensic Science department head Sudhir Gupta said. “The Medical Board is highly afraid that this case of deceased Sunanda Pushkar may have led to a complete botched up scenario in absence of FBI report,” the fourth subsequent opinion on Sunanda’s case read.

“FBI reported the presence of lidocaine, which is an anti-arrhythmic drug of heart, and may cause fatality if administered intravenously. This requires further legal investigation as there was presence of injection mark over body of deceased (injury no 10)… There have been reported cases of homicide by lidocaine poisoning,” it said.

The board said that death due to combination of drugs as asked by the IO (investigating officer) is also ruled out. It added that the speculation regarding Sunanda’s cause of death as hypoglycaemia, which can happen if a person does not take food for 2-3 days, was misleading. “However, if a person in having hypoglycaemia, even a small dose of injectable hypoglycaemic agents like insulin or albiglutide (Tanzeum) may lead to fatality,” the board said.

It added that the SIT should investigate thoroughly if any person in the vicinity and in access of insulin/hypoglycaemic agent was there, as there was presence of injection mark over body of deceased. Disclosing the receipt of the Aiims report analysing the FBI conclusions, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi had last week told the media that Sunanda’s death was not natural but ruled out the presence of radioactive material in her viscera.

Sudhir Gupta, head of Aiims Forensic Science department, had said the FBI report also said the death was due to poisoning as was concluded by the Aiims. 51-year-old Sunanda was found dead at a suite in a five-star hotel in South Delhi on the night of 17 January 2014, a day after her spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar on Twitter over her alleged affair with Tharoor.

(PTI)

Sunanda death not natural: Delhi Police chief

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sunanda pushkar

New Delhi: The death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, was not natural but no radioactive substance was found in her body, Delhi Police said today on the basis of report by a medical board of AIIMS which analysed FBI findings on her viscera sample.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said the high-profile case will be taken to its logical conclusion soon and all possible angles are being examined.

“One thing is clear that the death was not natural. It was unnatural as per our investigation till now and evidences collected so far. I can say that with certainty,” Bassi told reporters here.

In January last year, Delhi Police had registered a case of murder in connection with the death of Sunanda. An AIIMS medical board had found poisoning as reason for her death following which the police had sent her viscera samples to an FBI lab in Washington last year.

There was earlier speculation that Sunanda may have died as a result of poisoning through radioactive substances.

The FBI had sent its report to Delhi Police two months back. The report said the radiation levels in Sunanda’s viscera samples were “within the standard safety norms” besides mentioning other details.

As police could not firm up about cause of the death based on the FBI report, they requested a medical board of AIIMS to analyse the contents of the report.

“The medical board has submitted to us 11-page report with 32 pages of annexures which are to be examined. They have mentioned about certain conclusions which are now to be investigated,” Bassi said.

51-year-old Sunanda was found dead at a suite in five-star hotel in South Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014, a day after her spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar on micro-blogging website Twitter over her alleged affair with Tharoor.

“I have no knowledge on the mention of any dangerous chemical in the FBI report. The FBI report had said none of the samples contained any radioactive material. I can confirm there’s no radiaoactive material but certain other findings are there. We had given the entire report to the medical board which has examined and gave us a report.

“FBI report had said that radioactive levels were within acceptable range. It had ruled out the radioactive angle. Certain other chemical compounds were found by the FBI lab. The medical board has given certain conclusions. We will investigate those,” Bassi said.

The Delhi Police Commissioner today held a meeting which was attended by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case. Special Commissioner of Delhi Police (Law and Order) Deepak Mishra briefed all about all related angle in the case.

“Have been told that Medical Board’s advice in late Sunanda’s case has been received,” Bassi tweeted earlier. Bassi added Mishra was reviewing the progress in the case.

The investigators have so far conducted polygraph test on six persons, all prime witnesses in the case, including Tharoors’ domestic help Narayan Singh, driver Bajrangi and Sanjay Dewan, a close friend of the couple. Tharoor was not subjected to the test but was questioned thrice in the case.

The FBI report had ruled out the theory of the variant of a radioactive element named Polonium having caused Sunanda’s death, noting that radiation levels in her viscera sample were within the standard safety norms.

In January last year, police had claimed that Sunanda was poisoned, and registered a murder case against unknown persons. Three others — S K Sharma, Vikas Ahlawat and Sunil Takru, had also undergone the polygraph test.

The police team probing the case has so far questioned at least 15 people. Tharoor, his staff members and close friends were among those questioned by Delhi Police. Sunanda’s son Shiv Menon was quizzed by the SIT on February 5 last year.

(Agencies)

New twist in Sunanda Pushkar death case: FBI rules out radioactive poisoning

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sunanda pushkar

New Delhi: In a new twist in the Sunanda Pushkar death mystery, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has concluded that she did not die from radioactive poisoning.

51-year-old Pushkar, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was found dead at the Leela Hotel in Delhi in January 2014.

Initially her death was considered as suicide but earlier this year the Delhi Police claimed that Pushkar died of poisoning.

Her viscera samples were sent to the FBI lab in Washington in February this year after a panel of doctors from AIIMS Delhi concluded that the poison could not be detected in Indian labs.

The FBI report said Pushkar did not die due to poisoning by polonium or any other radioactive substance.

Although no one has been named a suspect in the case yet, the Delhi Police had conducted polygraph tests on six people, including Tharoor’s domestic help Narain Singh, driver Bajrangi and family friend Sanjay Dewan, all listed as prime witnesses.

Shashi Tharoor has also been questioned by the police a number of times.

(Agencies)

Tharoor attacks media, calls it 'self-appointed liars'

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SHASHI THAROOR

Thiruvananthapuram: Former union minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has again courted controversy, this time by accusing the media of being “self-appointed liars and scum”.

However, as his comments Wednesday kicked up a furore, he sought to clarify that he had attacked “only those who put exploitation of tragedy above justice”.

“I’ll speak to the police, not to self-appointed liars and scum,” he remarked while responding to a media person’s query here.

The lawmaker was asked why his aides were allegedly not speaking the truth in the case relating to the mysterious death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, in the wake of a Delhi court allowing the police Wednesday to conduct a lie-detector test on three “suspects” in the case.

“It suits gutter journalists 2 pretend I attacked their entire fraternity. I attacked only those who put exploitation of tragedy above justice,” the former Union minister tweeted Wednesday morning.

In another tweet, Tharoor said: “Let’s be clear: only 1 channel ran a witch-hunt yesterday all evening, lied & distorted facts, aired innuendo, ran a survey on purported guilt.”

(Agencies)

Sunanda murder case: Tharoor’s aides to undergo polygraph test

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Sunanda Pushkar

New Delhi: A court here on Wednesday allowed Delhi Police to conduct polygraph tests in the Sunanda Pushkar murder case on three suspects, closely associated with her husband and former union minister Shashi Tharoor.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sunil Kumar Sharma, during an in-camera proceeding, allowed police to conduct the polygraph test on three suspects after the trio give their consent.

Police had last week moved an application seeking a lie detection test for the three suspects — Tharoor’s domestic help Narayan Singh, his driver Bajrangi and his friend Sanjay Dewan — in the murder case.

The lawyers of the trio told the court that they were ready to undergo the test but police had to follow proper guidelines issued by the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Earlier, police have recorded their statements as witnesses in the case. Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a luxury hotel in Delhi on January 17, 2014. Police registered a murder case on January 1, 2015.

(IANS)

Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar to be questioned in Sunanda murder case

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Mehr_Tarar

New Delhi: Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar is likely to be questioned in connection with the murder of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, police said on Thursday.

“Tarar is a relevant person in the case… If necessary, she will be examined,” said Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi.

Tarar’s friendship with Tharoor had reportedly led to a row between Tharoor and Pushkar.

Delhi Police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after registering a murder case against unknown people on January 1. Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel room on January 17, 2014 under mysterious circumstances.

The SIT probing the case has so far questioned at least 15 people, including Tharoor, his staff members, close friends of the couple and the staff of Leela Palace hotel where Pushkar was found dead.

(IANS)

Sunanda Pushkar death probe: SIT calls Amar Singh for questioning

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Amar Singh. Photo: The Hindu

Amar Singh. Photo: The Hindu

New Delhi: The special investigating team of Delhi Police, which is probing the Sunanda Pushkar death case, is questioning Amar Singh over certain claims made by him regarding the case.

Delhi police chief BS Bassi told reporters on Wednesday that SIT is questioning Amar Singh to know what details he has about the case.

Notably, the former Samajwadi Party leader had told mediapersons after the incident that Sunanda was a brave lady and she could not commit suicide. The Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the Delhi Police can interrogate Shashi Tharoor again in this regard. Also, Sunanda’s son, Shiv Pushkar Menon, can also be quizzed.

On January 19, Tharoor was questioned for around three-and-a-half hours. Police officials had then refused to share Tharoor’s answers during the questioning, saying any revelation would hamper the imvestigation.

Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel’s room here on January 17, 2014. Police said she was poisoned. A murder case was registered by the police against unknown people January 01 this year.

(Agencies)

Media behaving like prosecution, judge, jury: Shashi Tharoor

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SHASHI THAROOR

New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has hit out at a section of the media for hounding him over the murder of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, saying some anchors were behaving like “prosecution, judge and jury”.

“I been advised not to take any legal action against the media by my lawyers,” Tharoor told CNN-IBN in an interview.

The Congress MP said he enjoys certain rights as a citizen of India and he does not need any special privileges.

“Some anchors are behaving like prosecution, judge and jury. We will take stock of the situation when the time comes. I am not seeking any rights than that I already have as citizen of India,” Tharoor told the news channel.

“Those who are violating all these laws… Who are these people who have the right to know? Why should I cooperate with the media and not with the police investigation?” he asked.

Was Sunanda Pushkar really murdered?

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It can only be suicide or accidental death. These wild conspiracy theories don’t wash.

Sunanda Pushkar Shashi Tharoor

by Rahul Singh, Daily O

It could be India’s most sensational murder mystery of 2015, even though the alleged murder took place in the beginning of 2014. I am of course referring to the tragic end of Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor, the beautiful wife of the high-profile Indian member of Parliament and former minister, Shashi Tharoor. After remaining inexplicably silent for a year, the Delhi Police chief stunned the country by recently announcing that Sunanda had not committed suicide, nor died from an accidental dose of drugs and alcohol, as had been believed earlier, but had actually been done away with.

Why it took the Delhi Police a whole year to come to this startling conclusion is baffling. Their explanation that India does not have a laboratory to test the viscera in question for poison, sounds both lame and questionable. Even if India does not have such a facility, why did it take a year to send the viscera abroad and get back the reports? The police point to the 15 bruises on Sunanda’s body and a puncture mark, to back their claim of violence and poisoning – bruises and a mark that were visible a year ago.

The timing of the police announcement is also suspect. It took place, with a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-dominated government in power. When Sunanda died the Congress-dominated coalition was in power. And Tharoor was a Congress minister and also close to the party’s president, Sonia Gandhi. Is the police announcement connected with the change in government? It would seem so: The Indian police and even the main investigation agency, the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI), though they are meant to be immune from political pressures, are notorious for bending towards whichever party is in power. This could be the BJP’s way of embarrassing Tharoor and the Congress party.

Be that as it may, the needle of suspicion has fallen on Shashi Tharoor who, to avoid media glare, fled to an Ayurvedic health spa in his home state of Kerala (since then, he gave a brief press conference on January 9 evening). Meanwhile, his detractors have been baying for his blood. I was on a TV show the evening of the police announcement. The anchor of the show had already made up his mind on Tharoor’s guilt, as had most of the panelists, which included two women lawyer-activists. I could hardly get a word in, so worked up was the anchor and the panelists against Tharoor.

At this point a personal disclosure is called for.

I have known Shashi Tharoor, on and off, since his college days. His uncle (father’s brother), Tharoor Parameshwar, was the managing director of the magazine of which I was the editor, the Reader’s Digest. In fact, Shashi’s father, Chandran Tharoor, also worked for a short while with the “Digest”. Shashi was an outstanding student who went to the USA for higher studies, before joining the United Nations (U.N.). He rose in the U.N. to the second highest rank and when the top job, that of secretary general, fell vacant, he put up his candidacy, with the Indian government actively supporting it. Both the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and Sonia Gandhi were said to have had a soft corner for him.

Though Tharoor failed in his U.N. bid, he returned to India, joined politics, with the Congress giving him a “safe” seat in Kerala, from where he was elected to Parliament. He went on to become a minister. His undoing was his involvement in the lucrative cricket IPL and his somewhat messy personal life. He bought a stake in a cricket team and gave Sunanda, who had become his girlfriend (both had been married twice before), “sweat equity” worth a large sum in the team. His controversial cricket deal forced his resignation as minister. Meanwhile, he married Sunanda, a head-strong lady and a successful entrepreneur in Dubai. They became a very high-profile and glamorous couple, constantly in the news.

Other women were clearly attracted to the handsome, intelligent and highly articulate Shashi Tharoor. Pakistani socialite, Mehr Tarar, was one of them. Sunanda discovered tweets and messages between the two that infuriated her. Tharoor’s domestic help, Narain, whom the Delhi Police have been questioning, has given a new twist to the case. He has revealed that one “Sunil” was with Sunanda in her hotel room, two days before her death. Narain also claimed that the couple had frequent fights and that Sunanda had told Tharoor that he was “finished”, just before her death. Well-known journalist Nalini Singh, a close friend of Sunanda, is also on record as saying that Sunanda was planning to hold a press conference, the implication being that she was going to expose her husband. Expose what? His supposed infidelity, or something else?

So, was she murdered to keep her silent? And by whom? Apart from Tharoor, who could be the other possible suspects? What would have been their motives? The hotel in which she died has CCTV coverage of those who entered and left her room. It should not be difficult to identify all those persons and narrow down the suspects, if indeed she was murdered.

To me at least, these wild conspiracy theories don’t wash and the most plausible explanation for Sunanda’s death remains what the earlier autopsy report showed: Suicide or accidental death. However, the Delhi Police think otherwise and there is no doubt that many new and intriguing questions have been raised. I suspect the final answer to the mystery will take quite a long while to unfold.

Sunanda Pushkar was murdered: Delhi Police

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Sunanda Pushkar

Mumbai: Delhi police commissioner B S Bassi today confirmed that Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, was murdered.

The medical board has said the death was unnatural and due to poisoning, media reports said.

The police has filed a murder case in connection with the death.

Pushkar’s post-mortem report, leaked in October 2014, had stated “poisoning” to be the cause of her death.

ANI quoted Bassi as saying, “Medical report says she was poisoned, oral or injected we do not know, it is being investigated.”

“We have to investigate whether she poisoned herself or whether she was forcefully given poison,” Bassi told the media.

“We are taking all necessary measures in the case. It is clear that Sunanda Pushkar’s death was not natural,” Bassi said and added, “The Post-mortem report does not say whether poison was taken or injected. Need to send samples abroad for further tests.”

The police also said that Shashi Tharoor will be questioned.

Pushkar, 52, was found dead in mysterious circumstances in her room at a five-star hotel in Delhi on January 17, 2014. Her body was found by her husband Shashi Tharoor.

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