Always sought a thorough probe into Sunanda Pushkar’s death

NOT NEW TO CONTROVERSY

• Dr Sudhir Gupta has found himself at the centre of controversies several times before the Sunanda Tharoor episode

Dr Sudhir Gupta has found himself at the centre of controversies several times before the Sunanda Tharoor episode

SHOPIAN RAPE AND MURDER AUTOPSY ROW :In May 2009, the bodies of two women reported missing were found in a stream in Shopian. The discovery of the bodies sparked violence amid allegations that the women were raped and murdered. In September 2009, the CBI, assisted by an AIIMS forensic team, examined the exhumed bodies of the two and concluded they hadn’t been raped. They also stated the cause of death as drowning. Though he wasn’t a part of the team, Gupta alleged that his colleagues were not professionally competent and said it was unlikely that examination of corpses four months after death would yield useful clues.

THE ANSAL PLAZA SHOOTOUT :In the 2002 alleged fake encounter that saw the police shoot down two militants, the autopsy report furnished by Dr Sudhir Gupta and team was questioned. It was alleged that the report favoured the police’s version of events

NIDO TANIA’S MURDER :Gupta has said he also faced “ pressure” while preparing the autopsy report of the Arunachal student beaten to death in Delhi this year. There was in fact some controversy over the report earlier as well when the high court slammed the police and AIIMS for sitting on the report.

UNPROFESSIONAL :Gupta, the in- charge of AIIMS’ Forensic Science Department, has been slapped with plagiarism and professional misconduct charges by AIIMS.

India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh is believed to have been briefed by the Delhi Police Commissioner about the probe into the death of Sunanda Pushkar in the wake of reported claims by a senior forensic doctor that he was pressurised to manipulate her autopsy report. During the meeting, Commissioner BS Bassi is said to have apprised the Home Minister about the findings so far in the inquiry and the steps being taken by police for its early completion. Sunanda, wife of former Union minister Shashi Tharoor, was found dead at a 5-star hotel in South Delhi on the night of January 17, a day after a twitter spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar over the latter’s alleged affair with Tharoor. Dr Sudhir Gupta, who heads the forensic science department of AIIMS and led the panel that conducted Sunanda’s post-mortem, has reportedly alleged that he was pressurised to show her death was natural, which he resisted.

Inquest proceedings under Section 174 CrPC were initiated in the Sunanda case according to which a sub-divisional magistrate inquires into the death of a woman if she dies within seven years of marriage. Delhi Police is investigating the case after the SDM asked them to probe the matter. Bassi has said police will “examine” Gupta if needed.
“Whatever will happen in this case in the future I can’t tell you right now, but I want you to know that the investigation in the case is going on. Whatever is necessary is being done. If it will be necessary to examine Dr Gupta, he will be (examined),” Bassi  is repoted to have said. AIIMS, however, has rejected the reported allegations levelled by Gupta that he was pressurised to manipulate Sunanda’s autopsy report.