(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Opposition calls for his resignation after police says Sunanda was murdered googletag.
Trivandrum — The Delhi police finding that his wife Sunanda Pushkar was murdered has put Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a tight spot.
Even though opposition leaders were quick in demanding his resignation and arrest senior party leaders were in no mood to defend their beleaguered colleague who was a minister in the last UPA ministry.
Leaders in Kerala from where Tharoor was elected to the Lok Sabha have even refused to react to the Delhi police decision to file a case of murder in the death which was earlier believed to be natural and question the MP.
Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday that they had registered the case on the basis of the final medical report received from All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS). He said that the report stated that the death was unnatural and due to poisoning.
The case has been registered under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Bassi said that they were yet to find out whether the poison was given orally or administered in the form of an injection. He added that samples collected after the death of Sunanda will be sent abroad for further tests.
Fifty-two-year-old Sunanda was found dead at a suite at The Leela Palace around 8.15pm on January 17 last year. The death came two days after a Twitter spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar over an alleged affair with her husband.
The preliminary report had suggested that Sunanda may have died from an overdose of the anti-anxiety drug Alprax that she consumed. The final report was given by a three-member board which was set up after Dr Sudhir Gupta who led the post-mortem earlier alleged that he was pressured into giving a ‘tailor-made’ report in the case.
The fresh board found poison responsible for the death after thoroughly examining the post-mortem report and histopathology report of viscera and by pursuing various documents submitted to them by the investigating officers.
Tharoor said he was stunned to hear that the Delhi Police had filed a case of murder against unknown persons in the demise of his late wife Sunanda. In a statement here he said that he was anxious to see this case is investigated thoroughly. He offered full co-operation to the police.
“Although 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 said.
He also sought full information about the basis on which the police have come to this conclusion.
“We have not been provided with copies of the post-mortem report and other reports of the inquiry like the CFSL report till date. We repeat our request for a copy of these reports to be provided to us immediately.”
Senior BJP leader and former federal minister Subramanian Swamy said that the police finding had vindicated the allegations he made in the case. Alleging that Sunanda was poisoned to death by some foreign agents with the help of her husband he demanded involvement of the Interpol in the investigation of the case. He has also demanded immediate arrest of Tharoor in the light of the registration of case.
In Kerala leader of opposition leader V.S. Achuthanandan demanded the immediate resignation of Tharoor. Communist Party of India leader C. Divakaran also backed the demand saying it was in the best interest of not only Congress but also Tharoor.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy refused to comment on the development. When newsmen thronged him in the state capital he asked what he could say about a police case. In New Delhi Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi said that the investigation was still in preliminary stage. He pointed out that the FIR had not mentioned the name of Tharoor or anybody else. He said that the delay in filing the FIR in the case smacked of political vendetta. However he said that the party will allow the law to take its course in the case.
The case may prove to be a political setback for Tharoor who earned the wrath of the partymen for showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was removed from the post of party spokesperson after Congressmen in Kerala took up the matter with the Congress high command.
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