Delhi Police Classify Sunanda Pushkar's Death as Murder

Strategic Insights -

Almost a year after the unexpected death of Sunanda Pushkar, the glamorous wife of a well-known South Indian member of Parliament, the Delhi Police have determined the cause of death as murder. The police commissioner, B. S. Bassi, revealed on Tuesday that the authorities believed Pushkar had ingested or been injected with poison. This announcement comes after a medical board report concluded that the death was unnatural, with samples sent abroad for testing to determine the exact poison used.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Delhi Police have classified Sunanda Pushkar's death as murder, citing a medical board report that found the death was unnatural.
  • The police believe that Pushkar ingested or was injected with poison, and samples have been sent abroad for testing to determine the exact poison used.
  • The investigation has been ongoing for almost a year, with the police commissioner stating that the delay was due to the doctors needing to collect more information and evidence.
  • Sunanda Pushkar had publicly accused her husband, Shashi Tharoor, of infidelity, and the resulting scandal was reaching a fever pitch when she died last January.
  • Tharoor has maintained that he believes she died of natural causes and has expressed frustration with the pace of the police investigation.
  • Politicians have weighed in on the case, with opponents of Tharoor suggesting foul play from the beginning.
  • A series of leaked details have emerged in the case, including reports of a needle mark on Pushkar's wrist, bruises on her body, and anti-anxiety pills found by her bed.

Statistics:

  • The investigation into Sunanda Pushkar's death has been ongoing for almost a year.
  • The medical board report concluded that the death was unnatural.
  • Samples have been sent abroad for testing to determine the exact poison used.
  • Sunanda Pushkar was 52 years old when she died on January 17, 2015.
  • Her husband, Shashi Tharoor, has denied any involvement in her death and has expressed frustration with the pace of the police investigation.

Sources:

  • The New York Times, "Delhi Police Classify Sunanda Pushkar's Death as Murder" (attributed to an unnamed reporter)
  • India Today, "Sunanda Pushkar death: Shashi Tharoor expresses frustration over slow probe" (By Priyanka Nair)
  • Press Trust of India, "AIIMS denies that the doctor who led the postmortem examination had come under pressure to change findings" (unattributed)
  • NDTV, "Sunanda Pushkar case: KTSS Tulsi 'the case is in danger of becoming a political football'" (interview with KTSS Tulsi)