Sunanda murder case: Money was motive, SIT ropes in Economic Offences Wing

Bengaluru, Jan 24: The Special Investigating Team of the Delhi police will take the services of the Economic Offences Wing to track down the financial transactions of Sunanda Pushkar and Shashi Tharoor thus inching closer towards the IPL angle.

The financial transactions appear to be the motive behind the crime, an officer with the SIT informed OneIndia. As we need to dig deeper into the issue we have decided to rope in the Economic Offences Wing a specialised unit of the Delhi police.

Motive was money

As the investigations progress it becomes even more clear that financial issues could have been the motive behind the murder of Sunanda. Whether the money involved was anything to do with the IPL issue or not is still being probed.

The SIT says that the majority of the financial transactions up to Rs 70 crore appear to be in connection with the IPL issue. We will get to the bottom of it soon and are also questioning several persons in this regard.

A preliminary viewing of the financial transactions have thrown up some 18 names and we are looking to question all these persons, the officer said. However the manner in which these accounts were operated and the exact detail of the transactions can get a better picture once the Economic Offences Wing looks into the issue.

Kochi Tuskers finances to be examined

The SIT may also call for files from the owners of the Kochi Tuskers. This IPL team was disbanded after it was shrouded in controversy. Sunanda Pushkar was given a sweat equity in the franchise which led to the allegation that it was done at the behest of her influential husband Shashi Tharoor.

Delhi Police Commissioner, B S Bassi informed that these are angles that they are looking into. We will go into the details of the finances and if the need be the financial transactions of Kochi Tuskers will also be examined soon, Bassi said.

The commissioner further informed that it is important to get into the financial details. It could well be the motive. We need to look at this IPL issue right from the scratch. The formation and also the financial details will need to be observed as it is important to the case, Bassi also said.

IPL issue brought up a day before her death

Meanwhile journalist Nalini Singh who was questioned for 80 minutes yesterday said that the IPL issue was mentioned to her by Sunanda a day before her death. During that conversation she is said to have told Nalini she took the blame for Shashi Tharoor.

Singh during her questioning maintained the same thing that she had told the Magistrate last year after Sunanda's death. She had said that Sunanda had spoken to her a day before her death. She had spoken about the IPL issue and also mentioned that she was unhappy over the Meher Tarar issue.