Cops trying to frame me in Sunanda Pushkar’s death, Shashi Tharoor wrote to Delhi Police

New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor reportedly wrote a letter to Delhi Police chief in November 2014, complaining that the police was pressurising his domestic help, Narayan and trying to frame him in his wife, Sunanda Pushkar's death.

In a letter written to Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi on November 12, 2014, he had said that "such conduct" by one of the Delhi Police officer against his domestic help Narayan Singh was completely unacceptable and illegal.

Tharoor said he and his staff had "cooperated fully" with the police probing the case.

"I was therefore shocked and appalled to learn that in the course of the 16-hour interrogation conducted by four Delhi Police officers on Friday (7/11/14) and again during the 14-hour interrogation on Saturday (8/11/14), my domestic helper Narayan Singh was repeatedly physically assaulted by one of your officers.

"Worse, the officer used the traumatic physical assault to try and intimidate Narayan into 'confessing' that he and I murdered my wife," Tharoor said in the letter.

Tharoor also referred to his telephonic conversation with Bassi on November 8 when he had expressed his concerns about the alleged police action.

"As you graciously agreed, such conduct is completely unacceptable and illegal. It also amounts to the use of physical coercion in the attempt to frame an innocent man. I would request you to take immediate and appropriate action against such unlawful misconduct of the officer concerned," he said.

When questioned on the letter by Tharoor, Commissioner Bassi said, "We will share anything that is relevant when time comes."

A Special Investigation Team is set to now probe the murder case of Sunanda Pushkar, who was found dead at a five-star hotel room in Chanakyapuri area of New Delhi.

According to reports, the investigation is expected to focus on a puncture mark found between Pushkar’s index and middle fingers.

Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi on Wednesday said that all necessary cross-questioning would be done.

“A special investigation team has been set up which will be closely monitored by DCP South, Additional DCP South, one inspector and SHO. As far as questioning is concerned, whatever is necessary will be done,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Delhi police filed a murder case against unknown persons, confirming she had died of “poisoning.”

This triggered demands for the Congress MP’s resignation. Asked why a case of murder was registered almost a year after her death, Bassi said the final medical report from AIIMS warranted the FIR to be filed so that Sunanda's viscera samples can be sent abroad for further tests.

The investigators have decided to send her viscera samples to a laboratory either in Britain or the US to identify the poison including whether it could be radioactive isotopes that cannot be detected in Indian labs.

Earlier, Bassi also said that the death was unnatural, but the substance and its quantum were still not clear. “Stunned” by this development, Mr Tharoor, is likely to be questioned soon in connection with Sunanda’s death.

Sources said a Delhi Police team visited a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala recently where Sunanda was admitted days before she was found dead in a five-star hotel in Delhi.

"The team met the doctors who had treated Pushkar and questioned them about the ailment she was admitted there and asked them to share her medical records," said a senior police official.

The SIT is likely to question Tharoor, his relatives and personal staff along with the employees of the five-star hotel where she was found dead on January 17 last year, the sources said.

It will also examine the hotel doctor who declared Sunanda dead and go through CCTV footage of the hotel. The forensic report of Sunanda's mobile phones and laptop which were sent for tests will also be evaluated.