Tharoor demands a probe 'without political pressure'

January 9, 2015

Guruvayur, Jan 9: Expressing concern over the way investigation was being done into the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor today demanded a professional police probe without any political pressure or consideration and pre-determined outcome.Shashi Tharoor

He also offered to face questioning by Delhi Police at an early opportunity to address the questions they may have.

Days after the Delhi Police filed a case of murder in his wife's mysterious death almost a year ago, the former Union Minister, who completed a two-week Ayurveda treatment near here, met the media to say that he will extend full cooperation in a "fair" investigation.

"I have a number of questions in my mind and concerns over the way in which the investigation had moved so far. I have written to the Police Commissioner yesterday in detail. Hope he will have discussions with the investigating officers. It is for him to do what he wants to do," he said.

In his letter to the Police Commissioner, Tharoor said he is looking for an early opportunity to address questions "his people may have".

"It is very important that it (probe) should be done professionally without any political pressure or intervention and without any pre-determined outcome," he said.

Tharoor again said that he was "taken aback" by the police decision to register a murder case as the family had no reason to believe "foul play" in Sunanda's death.

"I was completely taken aback as there is no reason to believe for any one in the family that foul play would have been involved in her passing away. Every one loved her and (there was) no question of any one having reason to harm (Sunanda)," he said.

"There was no reason for anyone who had access to her would do anything to do her any harm. But I pledge full cooperation in the investigation," he said.

"Let the police do their job. We all would like to see the matter closed and justice is done to all including Sunanda," 58-year-old Tharoor, who represents Thiruvananthapuram in Lok Sabha, said.

Tharoor said many of the things coming in connection with the case were "unnecessary controversy, disinformation and sometimes outright lies".

"I have been suffering for the last one year. We will like to have this procedure to get justice to all starting with her (Sunanda), family members and myself as husband.

"I lost my wife. I am not allowed to mourn for more than an year. I have gone through a great deal of pain," he said.

Dismissing criticism that he has maintained a "sinister silence" after the fresh FIR was lodged in the case, Tharoor said, "I have been silent on this for one year as the police investigation is on. The reason is very simple. Obviously when there is a police inquiry on it is my duty not to undermine or compromise the investigation any way."

He voiced anguish over "unnecessary public controversy" and "distortion" in media reportage.

Tharoor refused to take questions saying he is not going to engage in public discussion over a very personal tragedy and asked media to have some "soul and heart" and some "human decency:" while reporting on such personal tragedies.

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News Network
April 22,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 22: Eleven more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Kerala with totalpositive cases in the State touching 437on Wednesday.

Two house surgeonsof the Kozhikode Medical college are among those who have tested positive for the virus.

The two had travelled outside the state,Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters.

Kannur reported seven cases, Kozhikode two, while one case each was reported from the districts of Kottayam and Malappuram.

Only one person tested negative.

The state has 127 active cases and 29,000 people are under observation, including 346 in hospitals.

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News Network
July 21,2020

Lucknow, Jul 21: Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon, a veteran political figure in Uttar Pradesh where he had served as a cabinet minister, died at a hospital here early Tuesday.

The 85-year-old was admitted to the hospital on June 11 with breathing problems, fever and difficulty in urination.

He died at 5:35 am in Medanata Hospital, according to his son Ashutosh Tandon, a UP cabinet minister.

Lalji Tandon is survived by wife and three sons.

His body will be kept at his official residence in Hazratganj and later at his Sindhi Tola residence in Chowk to enable people to pay their last respects.

The last journey will start at 4 in the evening for the Gulala Ghat where his last rites will be performed later in the day, Ashutosh Tandon said in a statement.

The UP government has announced three days mourning as a mark of respect to Lalji Tandon, a former cabinet minister, a government spokesman said.

Belonging to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani era of BJP leaders, Lalji Tandon proved himself as an able administrator during his decades-long political career in Uttar Pradesh.

A former Lok Sabha MP, he was later given gubernatorial responsibility.

He took oath as Madhya Pradesh governor on July 29, 2019, when the Congress was in power in the state, after serving in the same post in Bihar for nearly 11 months. 

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News Network
January 28,2020

Jehanabad, Jan 28: Anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam, who was on the run after sedition charges were slapped against him for allegedly making inflammatory statements, was arrested from Bihar's Jehanabad district on Tuesday, the state's police chief Gupteshwar Pandey said.

The JNU scholar was wanted by police of several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi.

"Sharjeel Imam has been arrested from his native Kako village in Jehanabad," Bihar's director-general of police Gupteshwar Pandey said.

Earlier in the day, Sharjeel Imam’s brother was picked up by police in a fresh attempt to trace the anti-CAA activist.

Police had raided his ancestral home on Sunday as it went hunting for him but Imam eluded the dragnet.

He is likely to be produced in a Bihar court where police will seek his remand for questioning. It is not yet clear whether he will be questioned in Bihar or taken to the national capital.

A graduate in computer science from IIT-Mumbai, Imam had shifted to Delhi to pursue research at the Centre for Historical Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

He was slapped with a sedition case after a video of his purported speech went viral on social media in which he was heard speaking about "cutting off" Assam and the Northeast from the rest of India.

"If five lakh people are organised, we can cut off the Northeast and India permanently. If not, at least for a month or half a month. Throw as much 'mawad' (variously described as pus or rubbish) on rail tracks and roads that it takes the Air Force one month to clear it.

"Cutting off Assam (from India) is our responsibility, only then they (the government) will listen to us. We know the condition of Muslims in Assam....they are being put into detention camps," he was shown in the video as saying.

Meanwhile, reacting to Imam's arrest, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said people have the right to protest but nobody can talk about the country's disintegration.

Kumar told reporters that police must have acted in accordance with law in arresting Imam and now the courts will take appropriate action.

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