Sunanda death: Were cops moved to weaken case?
BY Chayanika Nigam11 Oct 2014 11:39 PM GMT
Chayanika Nigam11 Oct 2014 11:39 PM GMT
The recent transfers of important police officials, including the SHO, the ACP and the DCP who were heading the investigation into the mysterious and controversial sudden death of Sunanda Pushkar is raising questions on the possible connection between the Delhi police and former union minister Shashi Tharoor.
It seems that Delhi police itself is helping Tharoor to wash its hands off from Sunanda’s death that was due to ‘poisoning’ according to the recent report titled ‘Subsequent Medical Board Opinion in the case of Sunanda Pushkar’. Atul Sood was the station house officer of Sarojini Nagar police station when Sunanda was found dead at Leela Palace hotel in the month of January. Sood was the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case and was coordinating with senior police officials, Sub-Divisional Magistrate and the AIIMS officials who were examining Sunanda’s death.
On 25 August, in a major reshuffle of SHOs, Sood was transferred to the 3rd Battalion. Whereas, Bhola Shankar Jaiswal, then deputy commissioner of police (south) was transferred to the traffic department as DCP (Traffic-Southern Range) on 27 August after the transfer orders were issued by police headquarters. In September, Surender Sharma, assistant commissioner of police who was supervising the case, was retired. If sources are to be believed, on Friday Jaiswal wished to join the investigations into the fresh development in the case but Delhi police chief BS Bassi refused and asked him to stay out of the matter. Both Jaiswal and Bassi remained unavailable for comments.
The new report claims that the IO failed to submit the important medico-legal points required for medical opinion. The IO had not submitted the photographs of scene of occurrence, the statements and other circumstantial evidence. The officials also failed to give details of any medical consultation prior to her death. Not only this, the statement of the doctor who attended on Sunanda after her death in the hotel has not been shared.
Meanwhile, Bassi said, ‘ The forensic report is inconclusive. The status of our inquest is pending.’ He also dismissed suggestions that police had been lax in collecting evidence and that the probe should be handed over to CBI, asserting that the force was ‘competent’ to handle the case.
It seems that Delhi police itself is helping Tharoor to wash its hands off from Sunanda’s death that was due to ‘poisoning’ according to the recent report titled ‘Subsequent Medical Board Opinion in the case of Sunanda Pushkar’. Atul Sood was the station house officer of Sarojini Nagar police station when Sunanda was found dead at Leela Palace hotel in the month of January. Sood was the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case and was coordinating with senior police officials, Sub-Divisional Magistrate and the AIIMS officials who were examining Sunanda’s death.
On 25 August, in a major reshuffle of SHOs, Sood was transferred to the 3rd Battalion. Whereas, Bhola Shankar Jaiswal, then deputy commissioner of police (south) was transferred to the traffic department as DCP (Traffic-Southern Range) on 27 August after the transfer orders were issued by police headquarters. In September, Surender Sharma, assistant commissioner of police who was supervising the case, was retired. If sources are to be believed, on Friday Jaiswal wished to join the investigations into the fresh development in the case but Delhi police chief BS Bassi refused and asked him to stay out of the matter. Both Jaiswal and Bassi remained unavailable for comments.
The new report claims that the IO failed to submit the important medico-legal points required for medical opinion. The IO had not submitted the photographs of scene of occurrence, the statements and other circumstantial evidence. The officials also failed to give details of any medical consultation prior to her death. Not only this, the statement of the doctor who attended on Sunanda after her death in the hotel has not been shared.
Meanwhile, Bassi said, ‘ The forensic report is inconclusive. The status of our inquest is pending.’ He also dismissed suggestions that police had been lax in collecting evidence and that the probe should be handed over to CBI, asserting that the force was ‘competent’ to handle the case.
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