Saturday 25 January 2014

Shashi Tharoor gets clean chit in SDM inquest for dowry death

The sub-divisional magistrate inquiry into the death of Sunanda Pushkar, the wife of Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor, has given a clean chit to Tharoor with regard to concerns of dowry death.

Investigations into Sunanda's death have ruled out that she could have died of stress or harassment due to dowry demands. The presence of injury marks, particularly the one on her arm, continues to baffle investigators.

The SDM arrived at this conclusion after interviewing the deceased's relatives that a case of dowry death is not made out against Tharoor.

The basic purpose of the SDM inquiry is to ascertain whether the woman died of dowry harassment or not. It is a mandatory requirement in cases where the marriage has not completed 7 years.

No suicide note alleging dowry harassment was found from the hotel room, where Sunanda was found dead. None of her relatives have alleged any foul play. And that was the reason that the SDM has directed  police to carry out a detailed inquiry to ascertain the circumstances, which led to her death.

After initial probe by South District police, the investigations have been transferred to Crime Branch, which will inquire whether her death was accidental, suicidal or homicidal in nature.

Forensic experts have not been able to conclusively comment on the nature or cause of injury marks on her body.

Particularly they have not been able to explain presence of a blue mark on her arm above the elbow. This mark was seen on both outer and inner side of her arm.

The doctors have not been able to say whether it is an injury mark or a spot, which was a result of poisoning and if it was anti-mortem or post-mortem.

The doctors, who carried out the autopsy believe the injuries, were not sufficient to cause death and said she died a sudden death due to poisoning. But they are yet to clarify on the poisoning.

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