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Published 25 Mar, 2015 01:01pm

Sunanda's death was not a murder: Shashi Tharoor

KOCHI: Indian Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that his wife Sunanda Pushkar's demise was not a murder.

A report published in Times of India on Wednesday, said that Tharoor claimed that Sunanda's family also believes that her death was not a murder and that news items regarding this are "coloured stories".

The MP made these statements while talking to the media after he appeared before Kerala High Court on an election petition regarding his win from Thiruvananthapuram constituency in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Read: Angry wife outs Shashi Tharoor's 'affair' on Twitter

Last year, Tharoor's wife admitted she had hacked his account to send out messages exposing an alleged affair he was having with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar.

The MP further told the media that Sunanda's relatives support him and that he has nothing to hide in this matter. He said that the police team investigating the case has to freedom to question anyone, including Mehr Tarar. Tharoor further said that those who lost against him in the elections are trying to target him through other means, adding that he trusts the judiciary and has nothing to fear.

Explore: Shashi Tharoor's wife found dead in hotel: reports

Sunanda's death came a day after Tharoor issued what he called a joint statement from the couple last year, saying they were “happily married and intend to remain that way”.

The court petition, which was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Thiruvananthapuram district secretary S Suresh, had sought to declare Tharoor's victory and invalid and proclaim BJP candidate O Rajagopal as a winner.

The petition alleged that Tharoor failed to disclose his wife's assets as required by the law, during his candidature. Tharoor told the court that his wife did not have assets in India and they were not transferred to him. He further asserted that he does not plan to lay a claim for Sunanda's assets.

Also read: Shashi Tharoor may be questioned in wife's murder probe

After an autopsy initially concluded Sunanda probably died of an overdose of anti-depressant drugs, Indian police said in January this year that she was poisoned and a case was registered.

Tharoor said he was “stunned” to hear his wife's death was being investigated as murder, adding that he had never suspected foul play. Tharoor may be questioned by Delhi police after they opened a murder investigation against “unknown persons”.

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