New Delhi: In a significant development on Monday Delhi Police registered a case of murder in the death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor. The AIIMS medical report stated that Polonium 210 was found in Sunanda, which can be speculated as what caused her death. The substance is a rare and highly radioactive isotope which was found in Kremlin critic and ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko. ( Read also:Â What Killed Sunanda Pushkar? )
A case under section 302 of the Indian penal code has been registered. According to the medical report, she was poisoned, oral or injected said Delhi’s Police Commissioner BS Bassi. A speacial team will be formed by the Delhi Police to question witnesses.
Head of AIIMS forensic department Sudhir Gupta told reporters, “Our duty was to give an opinion to the police. Our job is over.”
The report may add to the troubles of Tharoor who has been known for his flamboyant lifestyle. Reacting after the report, Tharoor said he was stunned to hear Delhi Police had filed a murder case. The statement further went on to say: “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 also requested for a copy of the reports.
Sunanda’s cousin Ashok Kumar maintained they always knew Sunanda was murdered and the decision was delayed.
A team of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) doctors had earlier submitted a fresh report to police on December 29 on the mysterious death of Sunanda maintaining that she died of poisoning. ( Read also: 10 Facts in the Sunanda Pushkar Murder )
The investigating team had also last year concluded like it did in its first report that her kidney, liver and heart were functioning normally and that her death was caused by poisoning.
The viscera report of CFSL in March had hinted at drug poisoning but police considered it as inconclusive.
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.Â
Congress MP Renuka Chaudhary said, “let us get the details of how this murder happened and who did it. These things need to be established,” adding the development was a “preliminary thing for us to react.”
Congress MP Rashid Alvi said the FIR comes a year after her death and now as ivestigations begin, “Police should look into this unbiasedly.”
While Subramanian Swamy, senior BJP leader, who was first to ignite questions on the cause behind Sunanda’s death said, “the only crime Sunanda committed was that she wanted to tell the truth, even the hotel has to be investigated.” He added that he was happy with the FIR saying the police finally developed a nerve and the murder involved money.
He also called Shashi Tharoor a liar: “the more he opens his mouth the more trouble he is going to get into.”