Tharoor breaks his silence, says he's not been allowed to grieve

Expressing concern over the way investigation was being done into the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday demanded a professional police probe without any political pressure or consideration and pre-determined outcome.

He also offered to face questioning by Delhi police at an early opportunity to address the questions they may have.

Making his first public statement since the Delhi Police filed a First Information Report on Sunanda’s death being a case of murder, the former Union minister said, “There has been an unnecessary public controversy based on misinformation and outright lies in this matter.”

“My silence is not sinister. I have been silent all year. There is a police inquiry going on. I don't want to undermine or compromise the inquiry in any way,” he added.

Days after the Delhi police filed a case of murder in his wife’s mysterious death almost a year ago, the former Union minister, who completed a two-week Ayurveda treatment, met the media to say that he will extend full cooperation in a “fair” investigation.

“I have a number of questions in my mind and concerns over the way in which the investigation had moved so far. I have written to the police commissioner yesterday in detail. Hope he will have discussions with the investigating officers. It is for him to do what he wants to do,” he said.

In his letter to the police commissioner, Tharoor said he is looking for an early opportunity to address questions “his people may have”.

“It is very important that it (probe) should be done professionally without any political pressure or intervention and without any pre-determined outcome,” he said.

Tharoor again said that he was “taken aback” by the police decision to register a murder case as the family had no reason to believe “foul play” in Sunanda’s death.

“I have not been allowed to mourn the death of my wife in peace,” Tharoor said, saying he was forced to break his silence after the case took a new turn after the FIR. He said he is on a two-week break from his treatment at an ayurvedic facility in Kerala.

“I am not here to engage in public polemics. My interest as a bereaved husband is to find out what happened to my wife,” he said, adding that he has been cooperating with the Delhi Police as it investigates the matter. “Anything I can do or Sunanda’s staff can do in this regard will be done,” Tharoor said.

Soon after the press briefing, Tharoor said that if anyone knows about the murderer, the person should tell police and not Twitter.