Medical analysis rules out natural causes, says FIR in Sunanda Pushkar murder case

New Delhi: The final medical report by AIIMS in the mysterious death of Sunanda Pushkar says that she died of poisoning, administered either through oral route or injection and the injuries on her barring one were a result of a "scuffle", according to the police FIR lodged in this case.

The report rules out "natural cause" while noting out that all the 15 injuries found on her, except 'injury number 10' (an injection mark), were caused by blunt force and non-contributing to death.

All the injuries mentioned are caused by "blunt force, simple in nature, non-contributing to death and are produced in scuffle, except injury number 10 which is an injection mark," it said.

Injury number 12 is a teeth bite mark. The injuries number 1 to 15 is of various duration ranging from 12 hours to 4 days," says the FIR registered as a murder case at Sarojini Nagar Police Station.

The autopsy board, in its final report submitted to police on December 29, has concluded that "it is not a natural death and the poisoning is through oral route. However, injectable route too also can’t be ruled out."

The FIR also states how the post mortem report had indicated toward "alprazolam poisoning" while the forensic report by CFSL and FSL Rohini completely contradicted it by ruling it out.

"The post mortem of the deceased was conducted at AIIMS, New Delhi on 18 January by an Autopsy Board of three forensic doctors at AIIMS.

"The Autopsy Board opined that the cause of death to the best of its knowledge and belief in this case is poisoning. The circumstantial evidences are suggestive of alprazolam poisoning," the FIR said.

Sundna, 51, was found dead in a five-star hotel on January 17 last year.

According to the FIR, on January 17 last year at about 9 pm a telephonic call was received by Inspector Atul Sood, the then SHO of Sarojini Nagar from Abhinav Kumar, PS to Tharoor, the then Minister of State of HRD that Sunanda had done something in Room No.345, Hotel Leela Palace, New Delhi.

Acting on this information, Sood along with staff went to the spot where Sunanda was found dead inside the bedroom of the suite.

Preliminary enquiries at the spot showed that she had checked into this Hotel on January 15 at 1748 hours, the FIR said.

As it emerged that Sunanda had died within seven years of her marriage, Alok Sharma, SDM Vasant Vihar, was informed who inspected the place of occurrence and conducted Inquest Proceedings under section 176 CrPC.

Sharma examined the witnesses and the relatives of the deceased and recorded their statements, it said.

Director CFSL, Lodhi Road New Delhi, along with team also visited the scene of crime. The scene of crime was video graphed/photographed by the Crime Team/South District as well as CFSL Team.

The exhibits were lifted by the CFSL Team from the spot and the scene of occurrence was preserved and the body was moved for post mortem, it said.

"The circumstantial evidences are suggestive of alprazolam poisoning," it said.

The Autopsy Report was handed over to SDM, Vasant Vihar on January 20.

Sharma then sent his inquest proceedings report to SHO/Sarojini Nagar with the remarks, "In view of the examination of post mortem report where the cause of death is poisoning, you are directed to further investigate the matter thoroughly and take action as per law.

"You are further directed to request the Director CFSL for early report of Viscera examination."

"As per the directions, police then sent the Viscera, clothes and medicines found on the spot to CFSL, Lodhi Road, for examination.

The Viscera analysis report was received from CFSL, New Delhi on March 10 and the same was sent to autopsy board, AIIMS.

After the perusal of CFSL report, the Autopsy Board, AIIMS, sought some more information which included quantitative estimation of various chemicals/compounds in different viscera and exhibits, presence/absence of saliva in various swabs taken from hands and epithelial cells from nails and any other circumstantial evidence, statement, photos taken at the scene of the crime so as to give holistic and comprehensive opinion in the case, said the FIR.

"In compliance of the directions the exhibits/swabs were sent to CFSL, Lodhi Road, in April last year to verify the presence/absence of Saliva while foreign material/epithelial cells and other exhibits were sent to FSL, Rohini for quantitative analysis of chemicals," said the FIR.

The report from CFSL, Lodhi Road said the presence of Saliva and foreign material was not detected.

The report from FSL, Rohini was also obtained and both these reports were sent to the Autopsy Board, AIIMS.

It was after this that the Autopsy Board gave subsequent medical opinion in September, which was its second report in which opined ‘the cause of death in the case is poisoning’.

"Viscera are positive for ethyl alcohol, caffeine, acetaminophen and cotinine.

The medical board reserved the comment on specific poison/chemical since there is a lot of limitation on viscera report," the report had said.

The report was termed "inconclusive" by the Delhi Police, following which the Autopsy Board further required that a few of other medico-legal points need to be addressed by the Investigating Officer since the circumstantial information are essential for medical opinion.

"In response to the information sought by the Board, photographs of the scene of crime, statements of witnesses and relatives, e mails etc. were provided with a request that the Board members may visit the scene of crime to collect any object/material from the scene of occurrence which may be of any importance for medical examination and conclusive opinion in the post mortem report as the scene of occurrence was still preserved," the FIR said.

The Autopsy Board members, along with CFSL expert team, visited the scene of occurrence on November 5 last year and lifted exhibits from there. Seized exhibits were sent to CFSL, Lodhi Road for chemical examination, it said.

The report in this regard was received on December 24 and the same was sent to the Autopsy Board along with other relevant treatment papers related to the deceased on the same day, according to the FIR.

The latest report from the Autopsy board in this matter has been received on December 29 in which the Autopsy Board has opined that all above medical documents given by the IO and detailed post-mortem report, including HPE, conclude that the deceased Sunanda Pushkar was neither ill nor had any disease prior to her death.

"She was a normal healthy individual. In view of the above analysis, the death due to natural cause is ruled out in this case. The cause of death in this case is poisoning.”

In view of this latest report, a case under section 302 IPC is made out, said the FIR adding "therefore a case under Section 302 of IPC has been registered.