Sunanda Pushkar murder: Tharoor appears before SIT for third time in two days

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday appeared for the third time in two days before the Special Investigation Team(SIT) that is probing his wife Sunanda’s mysterious death.

Tharoor visited Sarojini Nagar Police Station informing the SIT that he was leaving for Thiruvananthapuram later in the day.

Police sources said that the SIT has asked Tharoor to keep them informed about his movements and contact details so that the team can get in touch with him whenever they need him during investigation. However, police has not put any restrictions on his movement as of now.

The former Union Minister reached the police station around 1 pm and spent about half-an-hour. Although he was not formally questioned during the visit, but police did ask him some supplementary questions regards what he had told them yesterday during two rounds of questioning that lasted nearly seven hours.

Meanwhile, sources also said that a team from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police is in Mumbai to look into the business model of defunct IPL Kochi franchise and see whether there was anything fishy in its financial transactions. The team is also likely to meet BCCI officials in this regard.

Yesterday’s questioning of Tharoor was mainly focused on the IPL controversy which had broken out in early 2010 when he was minister of state for external affairs.

There were allegations that he had “misused” his office to ensure that Rs 70 crore, which was equivalent to 19 percent equity in IPL Kochi franchise Rendezvous Sports, was paid to Sunanda, a charge denied by him.

Tharoor was yesterday quizzed for nearly seven hours, spread over two rounds including for two hours late in the night during which he faced tough questions mainly on IPL controversy.

The questioning of Tharoor by a five-member SIT team took place at the Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) office in Vasant Vihar in South Delhi.

Delhi Police had earlier examined the former Union minister on 19 January.

Another round of questioning of Tharoor may take place over the weekend, police sources said yesterday.

Tharoor’s interrogation came on a day when Sunanda’s viscera sample was sent to a FBI laboratory in the US for further probe.

Tharoor’s domestic help Bajrangi and Narayan Singh, his common friend Sanjay Dewan, his PS Praveen Kumar and Rajat Mohan (cardiologist of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital) were questioned along with him earlier in the day. Besides, they were also separately quizzed.

Sunanda was found dead in her suite at a five star hotel in south Delhi on the night of 17 January, 2014, a day after she was involved in a spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar on microblogging website Twitter over the latter’s alleged affair with Tharoor.

Police had last month filed a murder case and formed an SIT to probe the case. Police sources also said that Tharoor submitted some computer data — which included emails and other information in digital form — pertaining to the communication he had with various individuals and authorities before and after Sunanda’s death.

Asked about the matter, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi, said, “Tharoor was called today and we took some information and data. We will now analyse the data and see… We gathered detailed information from him yesterday, now his statement will be analysed.”

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters at Thiruvananthapuram airport this evening, Tharoor refused to divulge details of his questioning while maintaining that he was “available” for the police whenever they wanted to speak to him.

“I am not getting into any details of anything which is between me and the police. When the investigation is on, it’s my duty to cooperate with the investigation, nothing else. As far as I am concerned, every Indian citizen has the duty to cooperate with the authorities as they do their duty. That’s what I am doing,” he said.

“Beyond that, it is not appropriate for me to answer questions on any details. I have not done so in Delhi and am not going to do so in Thiruvananthapuram. I am here as your MP for the next few days,” he added.

Asked when he would be questioned again, he said, “Whenever they (police) want to speak to me, I am available.”

PTI