NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, along with his five staff members, were grilled bu the SIT for five hours in connection with the murder case of his wife Sunanda Pushkar on Thursday. The investigators also sent Pushkar’s viscera to the US for ascertaining the poisonous substance and its quantum.
Police Commissioner B S Bassi said Tharoor and his five staff members, who were witnesses in the case, called for questioning. “The Special Investigating Team confronted them and once again recorded their statements,” Bassi said.
For the first time, the officials of the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) were also present during their questioning. The EOW officials were roped in after an Indian Premiere League controversy leading to “unaccountable money” surfaced during the investigation. On the EOW probe, Bassi said: “It (EOW) is our unit. We want to see every aspect into the case.”
The SIT officials tried to corroborate their earlier statements before them. The questioning was held at anti-auto theft squad located in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar.
The officer also said that Sunanda’s viscera sample had been sent to the US two days ago. “The viscera sample has been sent to the US. The report will hopefully come in the next two months,” Bassi said.
Sources said her viscera has been sent to the laboratory of the FBI. Pushkar, 52 found dead in a Leela Hotel located on January 17, 2014. Police registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC after getting the final autopsy report from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on December 28.
The AIIMS report mentioned a list of poisons substance like polonium, thalium and photolabile which could be found in her body. Police had also said that the Indian labs were not as equipped to ascertain such the traces of such poisonous substances.
Though, Shashi Tharoor left home after being grilled for five hours, he was asked to to join the investigation once again after an hour. Tharoor, once again reached the AATS office at 10:30 pm and is being questioned. By the time going to press, he is being confronted with his staff and grilling to continue till Friday early morning.