Injury number 10, an injection mark, remains a mystery for Sunanda Pushkar's death
Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 08:00 IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA
Maninder Dabas
Post-mortem report also says a mild, foul-smelling gas came out on dissection.
An element of mystery and doubt has been infused into the tragic death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Union minister Shashi Tharoor, with the post-mortem report saying that there was an injection mark on Pushkar's right wrist which caused her death.
All injuries on her body "were caused by blunt force, simple in nature and not contributing to death, except injury number 10, which is an injection mark," says the report.
Sunanda's body had 15 injuries, caused in 12 hours before her death. Injury number 12 was caused by a teeth bite. Injury number 10, an injection mark, remains a mystery, sources said.
A mild, foul-smelling gas emanated from her body during dissection, the report, signed by Dr Sudhir Gupta, said. It, however, doesn't spell out the details of injury number 10.
"Only the viscera report will reveal the nature of injection," sources said. The viscera report is likely to come out in March.
The Delhi police have written to the Central Forensic Science Lab last week seeking the report at the earliest.
An overdose of anxiety medicine Alprazolam was supposed to be the cause of her death so far. A sub-divisional Inquiry had also indicated this. But only "circumstantial evidences are suggestive of Alprazolam poisoning", the post-mortem report says.
Sunanda, 52, was found dead inside Leela Palace hotel in Delhi on January 17.
Mystery around Sunanda death not laid to rest yet
Sumit Kumar Singh | Mail Today | New Delhi, February 25, 2014 | UPDATED 14:16 IST
Sunanda Pushkar
"She consumed poison/medicines or was injected poison or was forcefully given some medicines is still a matter of probe," said a Delhi Police top officer. The officer added that they can't say anything concrete as to how she was poisoned as they are still waiting for theforensic and viscera reports.
Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said the police were carrying out necessary inquiries. "The outcome will soon be submitted to the concerned quarters," the commissioner said on Monday.
Sunanda was found dead in a suite in LeelaPalace hotel in Chanakyapuri area in Delhi. Two staff members and Tharoor himself were present in the suite when they found her body.
Investigators said Sunanda's last call from hermobile phone was to her son Shiv Menon. The investigators have also verified the call detail record of her phone and have questioned all the people who spoke to her during the last two days of her life. Police said they have found from the call records that she also spoke to Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar.
Sources close to the case developments told Mail Today: "Delhi Police have got in touch with Tharoor after the first questioning during recording his statement. This is contrary to what is being speculated in a section of media that he's being quizzed by the police in the case…Police are probing on their own."
Regarding allegations being levelled against Tharoor by senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, a source told Mail Today, "It is best to ignore his despicable attempts."
The investigators said undoubtedly there were several injury marks across Sunanda's body and it was because of a physical fight with her husband. "They had got into a fight," said an investigator adding that the fight was over Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar whom Sunanda had suspected of having an affair with her husband.
The post-mortem report also stated that there were over a dozen of injury marks across Sunanda's body but there were superficial in nature and not severe. The report also said Sunanda had minor bruises on her left cheek.
The post-mortem report also indicated that she died of poisoning. However, the police would be able to know the nature of the poison found in her body only after receiving the viscera report.
"It is too early to conclude anything as of now since the south district police is investigating all angles in this murder mystery," said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.
The officer said Sunanda had starved herself for two days and was also consuming alcohol during her stay at the posh hotel. Revelations The autopsy report also stated that no food samples were found in her stomach, indicating that she hadn't eaten anything in the last two days. A panel of three AIIMS doctors also suggested that she had not been eating.
The sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) who recorded statements in the 'mysterious death' case had also ordered the Delhi police to investigate whether it was a case of homicide,suicide or accident.
"I have ordered the Delhi Police to further probe the mysterious death of Sunanda Pushkar as she is found to have died due to poisoning," Alok Sharma, the SDM of Vasant Vihar, said.
The police said three empty strips of Alprax (0.5mg) medicine, apart from other medicines, including botox antiaging injections, was found in her hotel room.
Swamy claims Sunanda given 'russian poison'
Giving a fresh twist to the Sunanda Pushkar case, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday claimed the wife of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor did not commit suicide and her death was a gruesome murder.
Subramanian Swamy
"Why is Shashi Tharoor feeling so nervous? He should be one who should be standing up and say I want a complete inquiry to be done. Why did he get rushed through the cremation of his wife within a day? This is ridiculous. There are many things which are wrong with it," Swamy said, adding that Sunanda had horrific injuries above her belly and "her nostrils were squeezed to open her mouth to administer Russian poison."
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Swamy has spoken on Sunanda's private life. Earlier, Swamy had alleged that the Union Minister had misused his office to get his son out of prison in the UAE.
"What prompted a Union minister from Kerala to use his office to get his son out of jail in UAE? Due to narcotic trafficking charges," Swamy had tweeted in the first week of January this year. Tharoor had responded to Swamy's charges, saying the allegations were "a bigot's perverse political agenda".
The Delhi Police, on its part, has flatly rejected Swamy's claim that he had got the details about Sunanda's death through his "sources in Delhi Police''. "I can't comment on what grounds Mr Swamy is making these allegations when the probe is not yet complete,'' a Delhi Police officer said.
Shashi Tharoor(left) and wife Sunanda Pushkar.
Police sources told me in private that it is a gruesome murder," he claimed. The BJP leader also gave indication that when his party-led NDA comes to power at the Centre, he will "take the case to its conclusion.''"I will have to file either a public interest litigation, or when there is a government that is more responsive to the public like Narendra Modi's government. At that time, I will take it up and see that it (the case) is brought to a conclusion," he said.
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