Murder Case Registered Over Sunanda Pushkar Death

Sunanda Puskhar Tharoor (R), wife of India's Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor, poses with her husband at the Indian F1 Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, October 27, 2013. — Reuters/file

NEW DELHI: Indian police on Tuesday registered a murder case against unknown persons over the death of Sunanda Pushkar, claiming the wife of the Shashi Tharoor was killed by poisoning, according to a Times of India report.

"We have got the final medical report from AIIMS, and we have been told that it was an unnatural death... It was not a natural death," Delhi Police chief B S Bassi told mediapersons.

"Sunanda died due to poisoning. Whether the poison was given orally or injected into her body is being investigated," he said adding that the report from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) was received on Dec 29.


“We can only say which substance caused the poisoning after further investigation,” Bassi further said adding that, "For that we will send her viscera abroad."

Pushkar was a Dubai-based entrepreneur before she married Shashi Tharoor in 2010.

 She was found dead in a five-star hotel in New Delhi under mysterious circumstances on Jan 17 last year, a day after she had accused Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar of “stalking” her husband and of trying to “break” her marriage when she was away for medical treatment for three months.

Tarar had denied Pushkar’s accusation of an affair between her and the former high-flying UN diplomat.

KP Govt Offers Rs. 10(mn) Bounty For TTP's Mullah Fazlullah

Undated photo taken from video by the TTP's Umar Media propaganda wing shows chief of the banned group Mullah Fazlullah.

ISLAMABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday announced a bounty worth Rs10 million rupees (US$100,000) for information leading to the arrest or death of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief, Mullah Fazlullah, officials said.

“The provincial government has set a bounty of Rs10 million for any information/help that can lead to the arrest or killing of TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah,” a senior official in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government told AFP, requesting anonymity.

He said that the KP government had prepared a list of 615 high profile militants and was offering a combined bounty of Rs760 million (US$7.5 million).

The official said the list also includes Mangal Bagh, chief of Lashkar-i-Islam, a Taliban-linked militant group operating in the Khyber tribal district.

Mushtaq Ghani, the provincial information minister confirmed the bounty.

Meanwhile, the country's parliament deferred voting on legislation regarding the establishment of military courts for terror-related cases until Tuesday, after the chief of a religious party objected to the contents of the national plan of action.

The bill will be presented in parliament on Tuesday for voting, after which military courts will be made legal. At present the military courts deal only with cases related to the military.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced the establishment of military courts for terror-related cases after a deadly Taliban attack on military-run school in Peshawar that killed more than 148 people, 134 of them children.

The prime minister also ended the country's six-year-old moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases last month in the wake of the slaughter at the school.

Seven convicted militants have been hanged since the de facto ban on capital punishment ended.
Six of those executed were found guilty of trying to assassinate the then-military dictator Musharraf in Rawalpindi in 2003 and the seventh was sentenced in connection with a 2009 attack on the army headquarters.

Officials have said they plan to hang 500 convicts in the coming weeks, drawing condemnation from international human rights campaigners.

World Cup 2015: Former stars back in the mix

First they lit up the ICC Cricket World Cup stage with bat and ball, now these former players are guiding the current generation of cricketers towards the ultimate prize.

These former superstars will now take on coaching duties at the 2015 tournament:

Pakistan: Waqar Younis (coach), Grant Flower (batting coach) and Mushtaq Ahmed (spin coach)

Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis knows what it is like to be part of a World Cup.

The quickie was a part of Pakistan’s 1996, 1999 and 2003 squads, playing 13 matches and taking 22 wickets.

Younis is joined by batting coach Grant Flower, who scored 512 runs in 21 World Cup matches for Zimbabwe in the 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments.

Spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed has also seen his share of Cup action, playing 15 matches for Pakistan in 1992 and 1996. His finest moment came in the 1992 final where he picked up 3-41 to help lead Pakistan to its first World Cup crown.

Australia: Darren Lehmann (Coach):

 The man affectionately known as ‘Boof’ will be in a perfect position to prepare his charges for the 2015 World Cup, having played 19 matches in the 1999 and 2003 tournaments.

His World Cup honour roll includes 360 runs in 16 innings at an average of 32.73.

Lehmann’s best knock was in 1999 against New Zealand, when he scored 76, while he also picked up 2/22 against Kenya in 2003 with his handy left-arm orthodox.

A member of two Australian World Cup champion teams, Lehmann will no doubt be keen to add to the trophy cabinet in March.

Bangladesh: Chandika Hathurusingha (coach), Heath Streak (bowling coach) and Ruman Kalpage (fielding coach)

There is plenty of World Cup experience in Bangladesh’s coaching panel. More than 30 matches worth, in fact.

Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha played four Cup matches for Sri Lanka in 1992, taking a total of five wickets. His standout game was against West Indies when the allrounder snared 4/57.

Meanwhile, bowling coach Heath Streak brings by far the most experience to the coaching line-up. The Zimbabwe allrounder played 22 matches across the 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments, taking 22 wickets and scoring 328 runs.

He captained eight matches during the 2003 tournament, while his best performance with the ball at Chelmsford in 1999, taking 3/35 against South Africa. Playing New Zealand in 2003, Streak produced his best knock – 72* from 84 balls.

Bangladesh fielding coach Ruman Kalpage represented Sri Lanka in seven 1992 World Cup matches.

India: Duncan Fletcher (coach)

World Cup fans would have fond memories of Duncan Fletcher leading Zimbabwe to an upset victory over Australia during the 1983 tournament. In Zimbabwe’s first World Cup match, Fletcher scored an unbeaten 69 before taking 4-42 to mastermind a memorable win for Zimbabwe over Australia.

It was one of six World Cup appearances Fletcher made for Zimbabwe. The Former all-rounder and Zimbabwe captain was named coach of India in 2011, replacing Gary Kirsten.

Ireland: Phil Simmons (coach)

Ireland has only played in two World Cups to date but already have some impressive scalps including Pakistan and England.

They will be coached by former West Indies all-rounder Phil Simmons in the 2015 tournament.

Simmons, who took over the role after the 2007 tournament, played more than 140 ODIs for West Indies and was part of the 1987, 1992 and 1999 Cup squads.

In 13 World Cup matches, he scored 336 runs at an average of 30.55 and took eight wickets at 28.38.

New Zealand: Shane Bond (bowling coach)

New Zealand’s bowlers will head into the 2015 World Cup under the tutelage of former New Zealand speedster Shane Bond.

Bond was part of New Zealand’s World Cup squads in 2003 and 2007.

In a memorable outing at Port Elizabeth in 2003 he picked up 6-23 against Australia, including the scalps of Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn.

Scotland: Paul Collingwood (assistant coach)

Scotland want to make a splash at its third World Cup and have secured the services of former England batsman Paul Collingwood to aid their mission.

Collingwood donned the coloured clothes for England on 197 occasions, including 18 times at the 2003, 2007 and 2011 World Cups.

His 474 tournament runs came at an impressive average of 39.50.

Collingwood, who took temporary charge of the team earlier in 2014 and helped guide Scotland to qualification for World Cup, will help head coach Grant Bradburn for the World Cup campaign.

South Africa: Allan Donald (bowling coach)

South Africa’s fearsome bowling line-up boasts the likes of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.

The imposing attack is under the guidance of a man who took part in four World Cups – Proteas legend Allan Donald.

The paceman was part of the 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments, picking up 38 wickets in 25 matches at an average of 24.03.

Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu (coach)

Sri Lanka’s head coach scored plenty of runs in his 15 World Cup matches.

Part of the 1999 and 2003 squads, Marvan Atapattu blazed 521 World Cup runs at an average of 43.42.
The batsman has previously coached Canada and Singapore and was appointed Sri Lanka coach in April 2014.

UAE: Aaqib Javed (coach)

United Arab Emirates returns to the Cricket World Cup for the first time since 1996 and will be led by a man who knows what it is like to win cricket’s most coveted prize.

Head coach Aaqib Javed was part of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup winning team. He played 15 Cup matches in the 1992 and 1996 tournaments, picking up 18 wickets.

West Indies: Richie Richardson (coach)

West Indies haven’t made the semi-finals of the World Cup since 1996.

Former batsman Richie Richardson was captain of that team and will be keen to see his men repeat that form when he leads them into the 2015 tournament as head coach.

Richardson’s 244 ODIs for West Indies included appearances at the 1987, 1992 and 1996 Cups. In 20 World Cup matches, Richardson racked up 639 runs at an average of 37.59 with a highest score of 110.
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