Tharoor quizzed, Sunanda's viscera samples sent to US lab

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was questioned for the second time in two weeks by the Delhi Police on Thursday in connection with the murder of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.

Sunanda’s viscera samples have also been sent to a forensic laboratory of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Prem Nath will personally hand over the viscera samples to the concerned FBI officials in the US. This is the first time that the Delhi Police have sent viscera sample abroad for forensic examination.

Sources said the SIT has sought a final opinion on the nature of poison and its quantum which claimed Sunanda’s life on January 17 last year at south Delhi’s Leela Palace Hotel. “Further course of action in the case will be taken as per the FBI opinion on her viscera samples,” said a police officer, adding that the report will hopefully come in the next two months.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, a joint team of SIT members and officials from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police questioned Tharoor along with his five staff members including his domestic help Narayan Singh and driver Bajrangi. All the six were confronted and cross examined with each others’ statements.

During his five-hour-long questioning at Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) office in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj, the Congress MP, police sources said, was quizzed over the ownership of Kochi Tuskers, a defunct Indian Premier League franchisee, to find out if his murdered wife Sunanda received equity on his behalf from the franchisee.

Tharoor was also questioned on his alleged Dubai connection which had surfaced during the 2010 IPL controversies.

“Tharoor and five others were called for second round of questioning and their statements were once again recorded. EOW is our unit and we want to explore every aspect in the case,” said Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi.