Sudhanshu Mittal: Case involves high and mighty
- 5 years ago
No one knows the poison, yet that’s what caused Sunanda Pushkar’s sudden death early this year. Without a Sherlock Holmes or a Hercule Poirot to show them light in the middle of forensic darkness, the doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences are clueless about the identity of the poison that killed Sunanda.
But the experts are certain that Congress leader and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor’s wife met her sudden end at a hotel in South Delhi due to poisoning.
They have listed several reasons as to why they could not detect the poison, including lack of suitable chemical tests and even of viscera.
But with no singular reason as to why the poison remains unidentified, the mystery in the Sunanda death case is deepening by the day.
Meanwhile, breaking his silence Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said he has always been cooperating with the police and is awaiting their report on the death of his wife (see accompanying story).
Sunanda’s son Shiv Pushkar Menon also asked the Delhi Police to conclude the inquiry into his mother's death expeditiously and impartially, and expressed dismay at people conjecturing on the cause of her death (see accompanying story).
While the “conjectures” continue, the medical board formed to examine Sunanda’s death has concluded that she actually died of poisoning. But the experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have also said that they could not pinpoint the exact poison or chemical that caused the death because of a lack of facilities to pursue the matter.
The board, comprising Senior Resident Shashank Pooniya, Additional Professor Adarsh Kumar and Professor Sudhir Gupta, was formed because of lingering doubts about the cause of the death of Sunanda, who was found dead in a hotel room in January.
The board’s 12-page report, which has been accessed by Mail Today, states that the experts studied several reports and medical records submitted by the investigating officer, including reports of institutes where Sunanda was treated earlier, and the post-mortem report.
These reports and records are listed over the course of five pages. Based on the examination of all these records, the board concluded that Sunanda was “neither ill nor had any disease prior to her death”.
It further states that she was a “normal healthy individual”.
Following the examination of the autopsy report and the “histopathology report of viscera”, the board stated: “The cause of death in this case is poisoning.”
However, the experts stated that they were unable to identify the poison or chemical that caused Sunanda’s death.
“Medical board reserved the comment on specific poison/chemical since there is a lot of limitation on viscera report,” the report said.
Over the course of the report’s final four pages, the experts gave a long list of reasons why they were unable to identify the poison or chemical, ranging from the Delhi Police’s failure to provide certain statements and evidence to procedures followed by forensic laboratories.
“In forensic toxicology, there are so many reasons due to which poison/chemical may not be detected in viscera test like complete metabolism, excretion, decomposition, inappropriate technique used in detection and the intake of nature of poison beyond the list of common poison,” the report said.
“It is possible that a person may die from effects of poison, and yet none may be found in body after death. If the whole of the poison has disappeared from the lungs by evaporation or has been removed from the stomach and intestines by vomiting and purging, urination and other absorption has detoxified, conjugated and eliminated from the system by the kidneys and other channels (sic).”
The board said some “vegetable poisons” may not be detected in viscera as there are no reliable tests while some organic poisons may be split into other substances that cannot be identified.
“There are certain chemicals like insulin, potassium chloride, adrenaline if given in fatal dose may cause death and nothing will be detected in viscera test,” the report said.
The experts also pointed out that the “residual analysis” of poisons in government laboratories is limited to 10-12 commonly available poisons and substances like insulin and adrenaline cannot even be detected.
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But the experts are certain that Congress leader and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor’s wife met her sudden end at a hotel in South Delhi due to poisoning.
They have listed several reasons as to why they could not detect the poison, including lack of suitable chemical tests and even of viscera.
But with no singular reason as to why the poison remains unidentified, the mystery in the Sunanda death case is deepening by the day.
Meanwhile, breaking his silence Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said he has always been cooperating with the police and is awaiting their report on the death of his wife (see accompanying story).
Sunanda’s son Shiv Pushkar Menon also asked the Delhi Police to conclude the inquiry into his mother's death expeditiously and impartially, and expressed dismay at people conjecturing on the cause of her death (see accompanying story).
While the “conjectures” continue, the medical board formed to examine Sunanda’s death has concluded that she actually died of poisoning. But the experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have also said that they could not pinpoint the exact poison or chemical that caused the death because of a lack of facilities to pursue the matter.
The board, comprising Senior Resident Shashank Pooniya, Additional Professor Adarsh Kumar and Professor Sudhir Gupta, was formed because of lingering doubts about the cause of the death of Sunanda, who was found dead in a hotel room in January.
The board’s 12-page report, which has been accessed by Mail Today, states that the experts studied several reports and medical records submitted by the investigating officer, including reports of institutes where Sunanda was treated earlier, and the post-mortem report.
These reports and records are listed over the course of five pages. Based on the examination of all these records, the board concluded that Sunanda was “neither ill nor had any disease prior to her death”.
It further states that she was a “normal healthy individual”.
Following the examination of the autopsy report and the “histopathology report of viscera”, the board stated: “The cause of death in this case is poisoning.”
However, the experts stated that they were unable to identify the poison or chemical that caused Sunanda’s death.
“Medical board reserved the comment on specific poison/chemical since there is a lot of limitation on viscera report,” the report said.
Over the course of the report’s final four pages, the experts gave a long list of reasons why they were unable to identify the poison or chemical, ranging from the Delhi Police’s failure to provide certain statements and evidence to procedures followed by forensic laboratories.
“In forensic toxicology, there are so many reasons due to which poison/chemical may not be detected in viscera test like complete metabolism, excretion, decomposition, inappropriate technique used in detection and the intake of nature of poison beyond the list of common poison,” the report said.
“It is possible that a person may die from effects of poison, and yet none may be found in body after death. If the whole of the poison has disappeared from the lungs by evaporation or has been removed from the stomach and intestines by vomiting and purging, urination and other absorption has detoxified, conjugated and eliminated from the system by the kidneys and other channels (sic).”
The board said some “vegetable poisons” may not be detected in viscera as there are no reliable tests while some organic poisons may be split into other substances that cannot be identified.
“There are certain chemicals like insulin, potassium chloride, adrenaline if given in fatal dose may cause death and nothing will be detected in viscera test,” the report said.
The experts also pointed out that the “residual analysis” of poisons in government laboratories is limited to 10-12 commonly available poisons and substances like insulin and adrenaline cannot even be detected.
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Connect with us on Social platform at : http://www.facebook.com/newsxonline
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel : http://www.youtube.com/newsxlive