Was she poisoned? Why was there no CCTV? Was the evidence tampered with? Was there some political motivation? There are too many questions that have been raised in the high-profile death case.
According to Headlines Today the crime scene may have been tampered with. The channel said, "Sources in the Delhi Police also told Headlines Today that at least two men entered Pushkar's room the day she was killed and allegedly cleaned up the room to destroy evidence against the killers.
The hotel room where she was found dead was revisited by police and forensic experts recently. The suite had remained sealed and was opened for the first time since the incident for the visit."
While it was first suspected that Pushkar may have committed suicide, her friends and family maintained that she was not a person who could think of her taking her life.
During a debate on Headlines Today, Pushkar's friend and senior journalist Nalini Singh argued, "I will not be casting aspersions on Shashi Tharoor. Sunanda had called me, now I see, just a few hours before she died. It was on 17 January at 12.10 pm. I believe the call was 15 or 16 minutes long. During this call she was very agitated she was full of vengeance. She wanted me to do something which would prove her point. She could not take the humiliation for her having turned away. She was not the woman who would step off the ladder and turn away."
Sunanda's husband Shashi Tharoor, expressed shock in this new turn in the case.
"I am stunned to hear that the Delhi Police have filed a case of murder against unknown persons in the demise of my late wife Sunanda. Needless to say, I am anxious to see this case is investigated thoroughly and continue to assure the Police of my full co-operation. Although we never thought of any foul play in the death of my wife, we all want that a comprehensive investigation be conducted and that the unvarnished truth should come out," Tharoor said in a statement .
Some called for a thorough probe, others like BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and Pushkar's cousin Ashok Kumar said Tharoor should be interrogated.
Even as the murder factor was introduced to the case, sources said Polonium 210, a radioactive isotope was suspected to be the poison that may have caused her death.
Doctors from the medical board had visited the crime spot in the first week of November, 2014 along with police officials where they examined the room and lifted samples. After analysing it, they submitted the third and final report in the case on 29 December.
"The medical board had maintained that the death was unnatural and due to poisoning. However, it has clearly listed a number of poisons, most of which are radioactive chemicals which cannot be detected during forensic tests in Indian labs including thallium, polonium 210, nerium oleander, snake venom, photolabile poisons and heroin," sources told PTI.
Given that the FIR in the case was lodged almost a year raised some eyebrows. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "It is not known whether the poison was self-administered or given by another person. The Delhi police commissioner himself said it. The fact that there is a registration of a case a year after the murder raises questions."
Cardiologist Dr KK Agarwal cited absence of labs of international standards as one of the reasons for the delay. He told Headlines Today, "I do feel that post mortem report should have come much earlier. Labs should be of international standard. There are many types of poisons that cannot be tested in India. In this case alcohol, paracetamol, snake venom etc. There is no reason why India should say that we don't have the facility."
Former DGP of Uttar Pradesh Vikram Singh argued that since it was a high profile case, it was only right that the police did not hasten the probe. Singh told Headlines Today, "This is a high profile. They would have not like to have been caught on the wrong foot. Who would have lodged the FIR? No one came from the family. In a usual case the police would have taken the risk. But in a case like this police would hasten slowly. They have taken their time collecting evidence to get to the bottom of the scene of crime that has been dressed up."
However, Singh raised a few questions, "Why was room number 307 changed to 345, why was the CCTV switched off? Why was attendant dismissed from the floor? Was the crime scene tampered with?"
Given the saying 'justice delayed is justice denied,' there was also questions raised on if the delay would cause and if the case would move in the right direction after this.
Lawyer Raju Ramachandra was hopeful, and said on Headlines Today, "Now we know there has been poisoning. The police in such a situation was duty bound to register an FIR. The FIR for murder is step in the right direction. This is not inordinate at all. This is not going to be a case of eye-witness evidence but circumstantial evidence so a delay won't spoil the case."
However, the delay is not the only thing that may hamper the case. The political blame game surrounding the case has been immense, with the Congress jumping to the defence of Shashi Tharoor and BJP's Subramanian Swamy running a smear campaign against the MP.
Did the Congress jump the gun in defending Tharoor? Congress' Tehseen Poonawalla thinks not. "I don't think anyone has jumped the gun. Fact even today Sunanda's father, brother and son stand by Tharoor. Tharoor is the grieving husband. He loved his wife," he said.
Also given that the probe was moving in a snail's pace during the UPA rule, there were raised eyebrows, but Poonawalla defended the whole thing saying, "UPA never pressurised on probing. Even today the police It is not for the UPA, Congress and Shashi Tharoor to be 'ok' with any investigation. The man out there is grieving and the family requires justice."
However he also questioned why the BJP was did not condemn Subramnian Swamy, who even on Tuesday, accused Tharoor of being a liar and said, "The only crime Sunanda committed was that she wanted to tell the truth. I found a conspiracy for silence in this case. The people involved were very powerful people. This is a very big murder. Very big names are involved."
BJP's Aman Sinha brushed off the comments saying it was a personal opinion. "Mr Swamy is entitled to individual opinion. The police commissioner has stated that it was a case of unnatural death and homicide and thereforw police had no other option but to file an FIR. The party's opinion is that the law should take its own course. No one should have any problem with the FIR being registered."
Given the ensuing political debate, a late FIR and many loose ends remaining to be tied up, will we ever find out who murdered Sunanda Pushkar?
A hopeful Vikram Singh said, "Truth will come out. I can bet on the fact. They did not have sufficient evidence to register an FIR under 302. You cannot bungle in such a high profile case. The scene of crime was dressed up and that it why it has taken so long. Two glaring evidenceS will point to the truth."
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