No political pressure in Sunanda Pushkar probe: Rajnath

Asserts Delhi Police is conducting an impartial investigation, denies there is any instruction from govt

Refuting allegations of political pressure in Sunanda Pushkar death probe, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said Delhi Police is conducting an impartial investigation.

"There is no political pressure. An impartial inquiry is taking place. There is no instruction from our side," he told reporters here.

Singh was replying to questions on the probe into the mysterious death of Sunanda, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, in January last year.

Tharoor had recently demanded an impartial and speedy investigation without any political pressure on investigators.

Congress had on Monday said there was a "sustained misinformation campaign based on insinuation and innuendos" against Tharoor and stressed he was not an accused in the case.

"Whatever the Delhi Police does, they do it in an impartial manner," the Home Minister said today.

Delhi Police had on January one registered a case of murder in connection with Sunanda's death under Section 302 of IPC on the basis of an AIIMS medical report that concluded that her death was unnatural and due to poisoning but did not reveal the nature and the quantity of the poison.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi had said that the Special Investigation Team, set up to probe the case, was working as per a definitive action plan and what is necessary is being done.

Asked about the possibility of questioning Tharoor, Bassi had said "As and when they need to examine a particular individual, they are calling the person. I am sure they will not leave anything uncovered in this investigation".

Questioned whether the SIT wants to confront Tharoor with the statements of other individuals in the case and the available evidences, Bassi said that he would not like to prejudge what the SIT was going to do.

"But I can assure you that the SIT is proceeding in a very scientific fashion. Many things have been written and spoken (in the media) which may or may not be correct...Bear with us, maybe I will be able to tell you something in the next two to three days," he said on Tuesday.