Sunanda Pushkar case: Homicide not mentioned in AIIMS medical report

NEW DELHI: The head of the AIIMS medical board based on whose report a murder case was registered into Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar's death, today said the panel did not mention "homicide" in its findings and it found "poisoning" as the cause of her death.

"Our report doesn't mention the death is homicidal in nature. It is due to poisoning. Police had sought an opinion in the matter and we have already given it. Now it is for the police to probe further," head of the medical board Sudhir Gupta here said.

He was responding to a question from reporters on whether the report mentioned the nature of death as homicidal.

Gupta, who is the AIIMS forensic chief further said that it was not his individual opinion and that the report was based on the "opinion given by the medical board comprising three doctors."

"We have also taken an individual opinion of the head of department of pathology of a leading hospital in Delhi," said Gupta, adding, he had professionally conducted the autopsy.

Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by Delhi Police to probe the mysterious death of Pushkar.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi has not ruled out questioning Tharoor, saying "whatever necessary will be done" in investigating the case.

Pushkar was found dead in a hotel room last year on January 17. The autopsy report stated that her death was due to poisoning, but there was no clarity on whether it was a homicide or suicide.

AIIMS in its subsequent report sent in September named a few poisons which could not be detected easily by forensic laboratories in the country.