New Delhi: In yet another development in the sensational Sunanda Pushkar murder case, Delhi police on Wednesday night issued legal notice to Shashi Tharoor, asking him to join the murder probe at the earliest.
According to sources, Shashi Tharoor is believed to be in a resort in Kerala undergoing Ayurveda therapy.
Earlier on the day, it was revealed that the CCTVs were fully operational and 10 cameras were working. The police earlier said there was no CCTV footage and the floor attendant was asked to leave. Yet, the police now claim to have found evidence that the crime scene was dressed up.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had alleged last year that the Delhi Police had threatened his domestic help to name him as the killer of his wife.
According to a leading TV channel, in a letter dated November 13, 2014 written by Tharoor to Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi, the former Union Minister had complained about the Investigating Officer intimidating and physically assaulting his help, Narayan Singh, to confess that he and Tharoor murdered Pushkar.
“In the course of the interrogation conducted by Delhi Police officers… my domestic help, Shri Narayan Singh was repeatedly physically assaulted by one of your officers. Worse, that officer used the traumatic physical assault to try and intimidate Narayan into “confessing” that he and I had murdered my wife,” the letter said.
Delhi Police on Wednesday formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the murder. “A special investigation team has been set up which will be closely monitored by DCP South, Additional DCP South,1 inspector and SHO,” Bassi told the reporters. “We will take all necessary steps as per our investigation plan,” he said.
Asked if the team will question Tharoor again, Bassi said: “As far as questioning is concerned, whatever is necessary will be done.” Tharoor had on Tuesday said he was stunned by the Delhi Police’s decision to call his wife’s death a murder.
Sunanda was found dead in a 5-star hotel in South Delhi on January 18, 2014, a day after her Twitter spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar over an alleged affair with Tharoor.
The probe into the case was handed over to the Crime Branch on January 23. However, the case was transferred back to the South District police two days later on January 25.
On Tuesday, Delhi Police registered a case of murder, putting aside all the alternative and speculative theories revolving around her death.