Sunanda Pushkar case: Shashi Tharoor says it's up to investigators to sort it out - Livemint

Sunanda Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a hotel in January this year. Photo: HT

New Delhi: Refusing to comment on the controversy stirred by a senior AIIMS forensic doctor’s allegation that he was pressured to manipulate the post mortem report of Sunanda Pushkar , former Union minister Shashi Tharoor on Thursday merely said that it was up to the investigators “to sort it out”.

“It is a process, we will leave it to investigators to sort out,” Tharoor told reporters. Asked what he would say on AIIMS’ forensic department’s head Dr. Sudhir Gupta’s allegations, Tharoor only said, “Nothing to say about that person.”

Meanwhile, Delhi Police commissioner B.S. Bassi on Thursday said that investigations in the case should be completed as soon as possible while reiterating that if needed Tharoor and Dr. Gupta will be examined. “Delhi Police wants investigations in this case to be completed as soon as possible. If it is necessary, both Dr. Gupta and Tharoor will be questioned,” Bassi told reporters.

Asked if Delhi Police has given a clean chit to Tharoor in the case, Bassi said, “Once we completed our enquiry, we will only then know. And, for the time being, our investigation is on.” On being asked if Tharoor has written a letter to him to expedite the probe, Bassi said he was, so far, not aware of it, adding that he has got to know about it through media reports. Rejecting the charge of Dr. Gupta, who headed a three- member team that did the post mortem on the body of Tharoor’s wife Pushkar, who was found dead in mysterious circumstances in a hotel in January this year, the AIIMS had on Wednesday said it “categorically denies” his claim.

In a press conference, AIIMS spokespersons Amit Gupta and Neerja Bhatla had on Thursday said that there was no evidence that any pressure from outside was put on Dr. Gupta to alter the autopsy report.