DNA EXCLUSIVE | Sunanda Pushkar case: Delhi Police fail to identify fingerprints

The Delhi Police have failed to identity the "unknown fingerprints" found in the room at Hotel Leela where Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, was found dead four years ago, derailing the investigation in the mysterious death.

The police had stumbled upon the crucial evidence — the fingerprints — at the crime scene, but investigators could not turn this into a lead.

The fingerprint report, exclusively accessed by DNA, says, "Five chance prints from the right side lamp table of the bed (where Sunanda was found dead) and two from the head side portion of the bed have been developed and photographed. Two chance prints have been developed from the broken glass."

DNA reported on Sunday that an internal Delhi Police report based on a magisterial inquiry suggested that Sunanda's death was not a suicide but a murder. She was found dead on January 17, 2014, in room number 345 of the posh Leela Hotel in Delhi's Chankyapuri.

The report further pointed out that all "chance prints" were sent to Delhi Police's Finger Print Bureau to get clues by matching them with their data base of criminals.

"None of the chance prints matched with the existing fingerprint data at the fingerprint bureau," the forensic report stated.

The police also found a piece of broken glass from the crime scene but there was no lead established from this as well.

The Delhi Police report based on the autopsy said that the cause of death was poisoning. Two injuries on the body including an injection mark on her hand were specifically mentioned.

SUSPENSE REMAINS

• DNA reported Sunday that an internal Delhi Police report suggested that Sunanda was murdered
   
• Sunanda was found dead on January 17, 2014, at room number 345 of Delhi’s Leela Hotel