A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by Delhi police has contacted the Pakistan High Commission to allow them a meeting with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar in order to question her over the death of Sunanda Pushkar, said a Times of India report.
Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in her five-star hotel room in the Indian capital in January 2014, after publicly accusing her husband Shashi Tharoor of having an extra-marital affair with Tarar.
Almost a year after her death, police opened a murder investigation earlier in January.
After an autopsy initially concluded Pushkar probably died of an overdose of anti-depressant drugs, Indian police said in Jan that she was poisoned and a case was registered.
The report quoted sources as saying that a letter to the High Commissioner had been written by Delhi police last week.
Police commissioner BS Bassi had earlier said: “If required, we will speak to her as she can throw light in the case.”
Although Mehr Tarar had earlier said that she is willing to coordinate with police, she tweeted on March 12, 2015 saying, “No comments. And that is my only comment.”
Police investigating the case say the chances of questioning Tarar seem slim because she is not legally bound to answer their questions. Furthermore, they can only question her if she allows it.
The police will only be able to question Tarar at a time, place and date of her choosing, who may alternatively opt to respond to a police questionnaire via email.
The report states that while Deputy Commissioner Police (DCP) Prem Nath will likely retrieve the viscera report from the United States, DCP (II) PS Kushwa, accompanied by female law enforcers, may travel to Islamabad to speak to Mehr Tarar if they are permitted to do so.
Journalist Nalini Singh has told the police and magistrate involved in the case that Sunanda Pushkar had asked for her help getting a hold of Blackberry Messenger (BBM) communication between Shashi Tharoor and Mehr Tarar ─ whom he was allegedly having an affair with.
She also claimed that Tharoor had intended to marry Tarar after the Lok Sabha election.
