Pushkar’s son keeps SIT waiting, fails to turn up

Pushkar’s son keeps SIT waiting, fails to turn up

Sunanda Pushkar’s son Shiv Pushkar Menon on Monday failed to turn up for questioning by the special investigation team (SIT) in connection with his mother’s death.

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Menon, who was served a notice by the SIT about four days ago, did not show up on Monday morning, despite confirming his availability for questioning.

Delhi police commissioner BS Bassi had on Thursday confirmed that Shiv Menon would be questioned.

SIT members, including DCP (south) Prem Nath, additional DCP Pramod Kushwaha, inspector Rajender Singh and others reached the anti-auto theft squad (AATS) office in Vasant Kunj by 9.30am.

Menon was asked to reach the AATS office by 10am. But he did not turn up and the SIT members waited for him till late in the night.

While senior police officers remained tightlipped on why Shiv Menon did not join the probe on Monday, police sources said Menon had not even arrived in Delhi.

Pushkar’s son who lives in Dubai is her son from her second marriage. This was the third marriage for both Sunanda and Tharoor.

Shiv Menon was among the people whose statements were recorded by Alok Sharma, the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) after Sunanda’s body was found in mysterious circumstances in suite number 345 at the Hotel Leela Palace on January 17 last year.

At the time of Sunanda’s death, Shiv Menon was in Dubai and arrived in Delhi on January 18. His statement was recorded on January 19 along with Tharoor’s by the SDM.

The SDM asked him if he suspected anybody’s role behind his mother’s death. He, however, did not name anybody or suspect any foul play behind his mother’s death.

Police sources said the SIT team would question Shiv about his mother’s relationship with Tharoor before her mysterious death.

Menon would also be questioned on whether Sunanda had said anything about her marital differences with Tharoor or anything related to the 2010 IPL controversies in which the couple’s name had surfaced.

Shiv Menon had broken his silence over her mother’s death only in October last year when one of his relatives Ashok Kumar, Sunanda’s cousin, had made a sensational claim saying that the family members knew that her death was not natural but ‘pre-planned’.

Shiv Menon was quick enough to react on Kumar’s statement and defend his step-father, Tharoor.