The autopsy report of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, revealed that “poisoning” was the cause of her death, said sources. The AIIMS autopsy report has identified a combination of drugs found in her body— Alprazolam and Excedrin — overdose of which killed her.
The report also mentions a deep teeth bite on her palm apart from a dozen injury marks on both her hands and a minor abrasion on her left cheek which could be due to the use of “blunt force.” However, the report rules out death due to any of these injuries. According to the report of the post-mortem, conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the status of the body when found was rigor mortis (death caused by chemical changes making the body stiff) and the death took place between 1 pm and 7 pm.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Alok Sharma, who, after examining the report, had directed the Delhi Police on Tuesday to investigate the murder and suicide angles in the case. According to doctors, the drug Excedrin contains a combination of acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine and an overdose of these ingredients can weaken the liver and make the intestine bleed.
An overdose of acetaminophen (more than 250 grams) can damage liver and cause death. On the other hand, Alprazolam slows down the movement of chemicals in the brain. Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel in the Capital late at night on January 17. The doctors who had conducted the autopsy said that no samples of alcohol were found in her body and that it was a “sudden and unnatural” death by “drug overdose.”