Sunanda Pushkar death: Pakistan's ISI involved?

Sunanda Pushkar, who originally hailed from Kashmir and was into her third marriage as was Tharoor, was found dead in Room No. 345 of Leela Hotel in the national capital late evening yesterday. As per the reports published in various news dailies, the incident came into knowledge of the hotel staff around 8 pm, when Shashi Tharoor couldn’t open the entrance door of the hotel room after returning from the Congress Conclave in Delhi. Since then, various theories are abuzz on the social media about what led the charming lady to call it quits when only a day earlier she had appeared in front of the media along with her husband claiming to be a part of idyllic marriage.

Most intriguingly, a question put forward by veteran journalist Madhu Kishwar draws attention where she casts aspersion on her death through her tweet – “Spine chilling news: Sunanda Pushkar eliminated. Clearly, she knew too much.” Although, Twitterati find Madhu’s qualm a bit too muddled and sensationalizing, with regard to the distressing saga, there always lies a possibility about some suspect hand in the entire affair.

Some of the tweets from Mehr’s side noticeably imply she was more interested in Shashi than his striking hairstyle, as what her friends say. And, the 57-year-old Member of Parliament from Kerala too reciprocated his affirmation to the journo’s affection for him through sharing of her written columns on his Twitter account, very often. Indisputably, he was deep involved in a “rip-roaring affair” with the lady and the affiliation was much more than platonic. There lies a leeway that Mehr may have enjoyed backing from Pakistan’s ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). Many such episodes involving politicians and Army officers are already well known to the world and considering the significance Tharoor holds in Indian and world politics, Madhu Kishwar has a conspicuous point to make here.

There is no denying of fact that almost every intelligence agency globally including that of India and Pakistan holds a unit of beautiful female spies which are known more by the name ‘secret weapons’. The tricks of trade have been learned by nations from the CIA and KGB. And the female journo from Pakistan has been accused of ‘stalking’ Shashi rather than the other way round, which provides clarity of some sorts, if we even have a slightest of hints how things go about in the business.

Going back into the rewind and analyzing the series of escapades we learn that Shashi was all set to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) on January 17, but chose to abandon the plans at the last moment, in order to be by the side of his ailing wife. Nevertheless, he was found attending the Congress meet than caring for his ‘ailing’ wife.

What exactly was the 52-year-old former sales director with a firm in Dubai suffering from? Maybe the last couple of days where she was involved in a nasty spat with the female scribe from Pakistan took excessive toll on her health. But still, she seemed fit and fine a day earlier the couple appeared before media, claiming ‘all is well’ between them. Then what put her to sick-bed overnight?

For those who question what the couple was doing in the hotel room when Shashi Tharoor was provided with an official bungalow to stay in the national capital in capacity of Union Minister, it was a stop-gap arrangement as their house was being painted, this is what the sources tell.

Police deny any evidence of struggle prima-facie in their official statement, but this is not the end of investigation for sure. For investigating officers, it’s a clear case of suicide. However, no suicide letter has still been obtained from the room. But intriguingly, she was active on Twitter till the last few hours of her life as the last she posted was: "Hastay huay jayengey (whatever is destined to happen will happen, will go smiling)." It’s hard to take on board that a lady under the weather (as Tharoor suggests) would be busy tweeting even in the gloomiest and sickening moments of her life. Or, was her account hacked during her last hours, making her look she was not interested in life anymore?

Not much can be said still but considering the way Mumbai police handled Jiah Khan Suicide case, which seemed more like a murder than suicide considering certain hidden details dug up by media later, only better is expected from the Delhi police. Lastly, not to forget, she had also tweeted "I took upon myself the crimes of this man (Tharoor) during IPL.”

It’s unquestionably much more intense than what appears at surface and must be investigated comprehensively.