{{Short description|Indo-Canadian businessperson (1962–2014)}} {{EngvarB|date=January 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Sunanda Pushkar | image = Late Sunanda Pushkar.jpg | caption = | birth_name = Sunanda Dass | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1962|06|27}} | birth_place = Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir, India | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2014|01|17|1962|06|27}} | death_place = New Delhi, India | citizenship = Canadian<ref>{{cite news |title=Suddenly SUNANDA |first=Alia |last=Allana |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=18 April 2010 |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/suddenly-sunanda/607683/0 |accessdate=12 October 2010}}</ref> | spouse = {{plainlist| *{{marriage|Sanjay Raina||1988|end=divorced}} *{{marriage|Sujith Menon|1991 |1997|end=died}} *{{marriage|Shashi Tharoor|2010}} }} | children = 1 }}
'''Sunanda Pushkar''' (27 June 1962 – 17 January 2014) was an Indian-born Canadian businesswoman. She was a sales director in the Dubai-based TECOM Investments, and a co-owner of the India-based Rendezvous Sports World (RSW), a cricket franchise in the Indian Premier League. Pushkar was the wife of former International diplomat serving under the UN and politician Shashi Tharoor.
== Early life and education == Sunanda Pushkar (née Dass) was born on 27 June 1962 in a Kashmiri Pandit family of landlords and army officers native to Bomai, Sopore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/15133.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121005841/http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/15133.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 January 2014|title=R.I.P Sunanda Pushkar (1962–2014): Her life in pictures|work=IBNLive}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/kashmir-valley-netizens-india-pakistan-role-sunanda-pushkar-death-177941-2014-01-23|title=Kashmir Valley netizens point to 'India-Pak role' in Sunanda Pushkar's death|work=intoday.in|date=23 January 2014 }}</ref> She was the only daughter of Lt. Col. Pushkar Nath Dass and Jaya Dass. Her father retired from the army in 1983.
Pushkar has two brothers, one of whom works for a global software company in Dubai; the other is in the Indian Army.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/jammu-to-dubai-to-delhi-who-is-sunanda-pushkar-whose-stake-is-worth-rs-70-crore/605528/|title=Jammu to Dubai to Delhi: Who is Sunanda Pushkar whose stake is worth Rs 70 crore?|work=indianexpress.com|date=13 April 2010 }}</ref><ref name="NDTV">{{cite news | url=http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/article-370-right-now-unfair-sunanda-pushkar-aired-december-2013/305772 | title=Article 370 right now unfair: Sunanda Pushkar | date=7 January 2014 | accessdate=26 January 2014 | location=New Delhi | publisher=NDTV}}</ref> The family moved from Bomai to Jammu in 1990.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Daily News and Analysis |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-sunanda-pushkar-s-father-pleads-that-his-daughter-be-left-alone-1371300 |title=Sunanda Pushkar's father pleads that his daughter be left alone}}</ref>
Pushkar studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Ambala, and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jhansi.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sunanda Pushkar: The woman whose presence you couldn't ignore |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/the-woman-whose-presence-you-couldnt-ignore/ |work=The Indian Express |date=6 January 2015 |language=en}}</ref> She then graduated from Govt. Women's College in Srinagar, where she studied during 1986–88.<ref name="FP_who_2014">{{cite news | url = http://www.firstpost.com/india/who-is-sunanda-pushkar-her-background-and-many-scandals-1343125.html | title = Who is Sunanda Pushkar? Her background and many scandals | date = 16 January 2014 | publisher = FirstPost }}</ref>
== Personal life == While studying at the Government College for women, where she was the president of the college, she married a fellow hotel management graduate Sanjay Raina.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/sunandas-ex-hubby-says-he-has-moved-on-71912-2010-04-15 |title=Sunanda's ex-hubby says he has 'moved on' : North, News – India Today |publisher=Indiatoday.intoday.in |date=16 April 2010 |access-date=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-sunanda-pushkar-and-mdash-kashmiri-village-girl-who-made-it-big-in-life-1952832 |title=Sunanda Pushkar – Kashmiri village girl who made it big in life – India – DNA |publisher=Dnaindia.com |accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref> The couple divorced in 1988. Subsequently, Sunanda went to Dubai in 1989 and married Sujith Menon in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?265098 |title=Got A Girl, Named Sue | Vrinda Gopinath |publisher=Outlookindia.com |accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref> Their son was born in November 1992. Sunanda was widowed when Sujith Menon died in an accident in 1997.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/A-woman-left-lonely/articleshow/29048543.cms |title=A woman left lonely |last=Bhattacharyya |first=Sourish |date=21 January 2014 |work=Times of India |access-date=14 January 2020 }}</ref> In October 2009, she met Shashi Tharoor at a party organised by the billionaire Sunny Varkey. Tharoor had arrived in Dubai in 2007, with his Canadian wife Christa Giles.<ref name="AD_IPL_2011">{{cite book |author=Abhishek Dubey |title=Indian Premier League Story |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1h1yk--r2h0C&pg=PT34 |year=2011 |publisher=Pearson Education India |isbn=978-81-317-5800-7 |pages=34–}}</ref> Sunanda married Shashi Tharoor in 2010, after he was elected to the Indian Parliament.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/people/sunanda-pushkar-tharoor-a-profile-472462 |title=Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor – a profile |publisher=NDTV.com |date=18 January 2014 |accessdate=25 January 2014}}</ref> The couple had a Malayali wedding ceremony in Tharoor's ancestral home at Elavanchery in Kerala, India. This was the third marriage for both of them.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/shashi-tharoor-weds-sunanda-pushkar-46274 | title = Shashi Tharoor weds Sunanda Pushkar | date = 22 August 2010 | publisher = NDTV }}</ref>
== Business career == In India, Sunanda's first job was as the front desk receptionist at the Centaur Lake View hotel in Srinagar, after doing a course in hotel management.<ref name="AD_IPL_2011"/> After coming to Dubai. She started an event management business called ''Expressions'', and became well known for her networking with sponsors and artists for fashion shows. Her company organised several model shows for product launches, featuring several Indian fashion designers and models, including Hemant Trivedi, Rhea Pillai, Vikram Phadnis and Aishwarya Rai. Later, she joined Bozell Prime Advertising as a marketing manager. She and her second husband Sujith Menon organised a show, which made a financial loss. Sujith returned to India, and died in an accident in Delhi in March 1997.<ref name="Outlook_Sue_2010">{{cite news | url = http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?265098 | title = Got A Girl, Named Sue | publisher = Outlook | date = 26 April 2010 | author = Vrinda Gopinath }}</ref><ref name="Tehelka_Vamp_2010">{{cite journal | url = http://www.tehelka.com/the-parable-of-the-vamp/?singlepage=1 | author = Shoma Chaudhury | title = The Parable of the Vamp | date = 1 May 2010 | issue = 17 | volume = 7 | journal = Tehelka | access-date = 18 January 2014 | archive-date = 1 February 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140201102634/http://www.tehelka.com/the-parable-of-the-vamp/?singlepage=1 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
After Sujith's death she left her four-year-old son with her sister-in-law, and later with her parents. By the time she brought him back to Dubai, he had developed a communication disorder. She left Bozell Prime to spend time with her son. She then went on to open a joint retail business of artificial jewelry in Dubai, called Ravissant Trading. She spelled her name as "Sue P. Menon" on her business cards, and later, started using "Pushkar" (an alternative spelling of her father's name) as her last name. According to her, she faced financial troubles, as she had to repay Sujith's debts, support her parents and her brother through engineering college.<ref name="Outlook_Sue_2010"/><ref name="Tehelka_Vamp_2010"/>
Impressed by the Canadian healthcare system, she emigrated to Canada in the 1990, as her son needed speech therapy. According to Sunanda, she became a partner in an IT firm called "Valley Resources" through sweat equity, after a San Francisco-based friend introduced her to the founders. Subsequently, she became wealthy during the dot-com bubble, managing to buy her own house and a BMW car. The business was impacted by the post-9/11 slowdown and closed in 2001. After four months of unemployment and financial difficulties, Sunanda did a course in emotional intelligence, and joined a company called Noble House International. She organised "Human Potential Reengineering" programmes for several banks in Miami, Amsterdam and Geneva.<ref name="Tehelka_Vamp_2010"/>
Sunanda felt that she was not earning enough at Noble House. In August 2004, she moved to Dubai with a Canadian passport, working as a general manager for Best Homes. Later, she joined TECOM investments to work on the International Media Production Zone. She was financially successful, buying two 3-bedroom apartments at Palm Jumeirah, an apartment in Jumeirah Beach Residence and two more apartments in the Executive Towers.<ref name="Tehelka_Vamp_2010"/>
== Return to India ==
=== IPL controversy === When she was dating Tharoor, Sunanda started getting media attention in India, as it became known that she had been given sweat equity worth {{INR}}700 million in Rendezvous Sports World. In 2010, the company bid for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Kochi Tuskers Kerala, which represented Tharoor's native state Kerala. The company was founded in 2009, while Sunanda was made a Director of the company on 25 February 2010, just 18 days before the IPL bid. There were allegations that Tharoor had misused his ministerial position to ask for a free stake in the company, and that Sunanda was acting as a proxy for him. In addition, the agreement guaranteed an additional 15% payout of topline revenue (not profits) for Sunanda Pushkar, which was clearly unreasonable, and was seen to be favouring Tharoor in a backhanded way. The controversy ultimately resulted in Tharoor's resignation as a minister. In her defence, Sunanda argued that she had been invited to join Rendezvous because of her "extensive international experience as a business executive, marketing manager and entrepreneur". She also stated that she had been given a similar offer by Karim Morani of Kolkata Knight Riders in the past.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/i-am-not-a-proxy-for-tharoor-sunanda-pushkar-19990| title = I am not a proxy for Tharoor: Sunanda Pushkar | date = 14 April 2010 | publisher = NDTV }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oneindia.com/2010/04/18/sunandapushkar-a-last-minute-inclusion-in-ipl-biddersgroup.html |title=Sunanda Pushkar a last minute inclusion in IPL bidders group |date=18 April 2010 |publisher=Oneindia.in |access-date=12 October 2010}}</ref> In April 2010, she announced that she had relinquished her stake in the company following the controversy. However, she continued to hold the stake, after she was told that there is no provision under the Board of Control for Cricket in India's IPL rules for surrender of shares at that stage.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/news/sunanda-continues-to-hold-19-stake-in-rendezvous/iplarticleshow/6178445.cms | title = Sunanda continues to hold 19% stake in Rendezvous | newspaper = The Times of India | date = 17 July 2010 | author = Pradeep Thakur & Josy Joseph }}</ref>
=== Twitter incident === On 15 January 2014, a series of intimate messages, supposedly sent by the Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar to Tharoor, were posted on Tharoor's Twitter account. The messages proclaimed Tarar's love for Tharoor. Tarar tried to downplay the incident by stating that her account had been hacked. However, Sunanda later stated that the account had not been hacked and that she had posted the messages to expose what she believed to be Mehr's stalking of her husband. She accused Mehr of being an ISI agent.<ref name="ET_border_2014">{{cite news | url = http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-01-16/news/46264390_1_shashi-tharoor-sunanda-pushkar-twitter-account| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140117114030/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-01-16/news/46264390_1_shashi-tharoor-sunanda-pushkar-twitter-account| url-status = dead| archive-date = 17 January 2014| title = Border love row: Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda says she posted messages of Pak journo Mehr on his Twitter handle | author = Sruthijith KK | date = 16 January 2014 }}</ref> Later, she stated that she did not want to go public about the matter, especially in an election year.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pushkar-swings-from-rage-to-defiance-to-caution/articleshow/28921273.cms | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140120141542/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-17/india/46300006_1_sunanda-pushkar-shashi-tharoor-tweets | url-status = live | archive-date = 20 January 2014 | newspaper = The Times of India | title = Pushkar swings from rage to defiance to caution | date = 17 January 2014 }}</ref>
The next day, a note titled as "Joint statement by Sunanda and Shashi Tharoor" was published on Shashi Tharoor's Facebook page. The note stated that the couple was happily married, and that some personal comments not intended for publication had been misrepresented after being posted to Twitter. The note also stated that Sunanda had been hospitalised after being ill, and was seeking rest.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Desk|first=India TV News|date=16 January 2014|title=Sunanda and Shashi Tharoor issue statement, dismiss divorce rumors|url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/breaking-news-sunanda-and-shashi-tharoor-issue-statement-dismis-32531.html|access-date=25 November 2021|website=www.indiatvnews.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Desk|first=India TV News|date=18 January 2014|title=Read the joint statement by Sunanda, Shashi Tharoor a day before her death|url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/latest-news-read-the-joint-statement-by-sunanda-shashi-tharoor-32628.html|access-date=25 November 2021|website=www.indiatvnews.com|language=en}}</ref> Sunanda Tharoor was being treated for Lupus erythematosus, a deadly immune disorder which damages healthy tissues.<ref>Lupus erythematosus [https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sunanda-pushkar-suffered-from-incurable-disease-lupus-say-tharoors-friends-and-relatives-in-kerala-177472-2014-01-18][http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/sunanda-s-leaked-medical-report-reveals-she-had-lupus/story-o1Gaq3u1WHAcsPmAV2FTCJ.html]</ref>
==Death== On 17 January 2014, a day after the Twitter controversy, Pushkar was found dead in room number 345 of the Leela Palace hotel in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, where the couple were temporarily living while their house was being renovated and painted.<ref>[https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/sunanda-pushkar-death-10-things-you-should-know-199009-2014-07-02 10 things you should know about Sunanda Pushkar and her death]</ref> Tharoor discovered her body when she did not wake up from her sleep in the evening. He informed the Delhi Police, who recovered the body from the hotel and sent it for postmortem. According to initial reports, Pushkar was suspected to have committed suicide. Later reports stated that the cause of death was unnatural; the doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences gave a preliminary autopsy report that revealed injury marks on her body. They said that these injuries may or may not be the cause of death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sunanda-pushkar-died-an-unnatural-sudden-death-say-aiims-doctors-body-cremated/article1-1174118.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118193034/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sunanda-pushkar-died-an-unnatural-sudden-death-say-aiims-doctors-body-cremated/article1-1174118.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 January 2014|title=Sunanda Pushkar died an unnatural sudden death say AIIMS doctors; body cremated|work=Hindustan Times }}</ref> The autopsy indicated that she died of drug overdose, most likely a combination of sedatives, other strong medicines and probably alcohol.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Drug-overdose-may-have-killed-Sunanda-Pushkar-Autopsy/articleshow/29023493.cms|title=Drug overdose may have killed Sunanda Pushkar: Autopsy|work=The Times of India|date=19 January 2014 }}</ref> An investigation was ordered by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate to examine the cause of poisoning and to ascertain if it was murder or suicide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sunanda Pushkar died of Poisoning says SDM Report|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/01/sunanda-pushkar-died-of-poisoning-says-sdm-report/|work=IANS|publisher=Biharprabha News|accessdate=21 January 2014}}</ref> Her body was cremated at Lodhi Crematorium in South Delhi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/nation-world/sunanda-pushkars-last-rites-at-lodhi-crematorium/slideshow/29014716.cms|title=Sunanda Pushkar's last rites at Lodhi Crematorium|work=The Economic Times|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121050442/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/nation-world/sunanda-pushkars-last-rites-at-lodhi-crematorium/slideshow/29014716.cms|archive-date=21 January 2014}}</ref>
Doctors at KIMS Hospital Trivandrum, who had examined her a few days earlier, said that Pushkar<ref>{{cite news|title=Sunanda's murder inquiry must be without political pressure, says Tharoor|url=http://post.jagran.com/sunandas-murder-inquiry-must-be-without-political-pressure-says-tharoor-1420805115|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109171349/http://post.jagran.com/sunandas-murder-inquiry-must-be-without-political-pressure-says-tharoor-1420805115|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 January 2015|accessdate=9 January 2015|publisher=Post.jagran.com}}</ref> did not have serious health problems.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sunanda did not have serious health problems: Doctors|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sunanda-did-not-have-serious-health-problems-Doctors/articleshow/29002836.cms|work=Times of India|date=18 January 2014 |accessdate=18 January 2014}}</ref> However, she had hinted about her death in a Twitter reply hours before her body was recovered from the hotel.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sunanda Pushkar predicted Death 12 hours before her Death|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/01/sunanda-pushkar-tweeted-of-death-12-hours-before-her-death/|work=Biharprabha News|accessdate=17 January 2014}}</ref>
On 1 July 2014, controversy over her death deepened when AIIMS doctor Sudhir Gupta claimed that he was pressured to give a false report in the case.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sunanda Pushkar death case: doctor accuses tharoor and azad of influencing report|url=http://www.patrika.com/news/sunanda-pushkar-death-case-doctor-accuses-tharoor-and-azad-of-influencing-report/1015420|access-date=2 July 2014|work=Patrika Group|language=Hindi|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707042838/http://www.patrika.com/news/sunanda-pushkar-death-case-doctor-accuses-tharoor-and-azad-of-influencing-report/1015420|archive-date=7 July 2014}}</ref> On 10 October 2014, the medical team probing her death concluded that she died of poisoning.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Sunanda-Pushkar-death-due-to-poisoning-Medical-team/articleshow/44764580.cms|title=Sunanda Pushkar death due to poisoning: Medical team|work=The Times of India|date=10 October 2014 }}</ref>
On 6 January 2015, Delhi Police reported that Sunanda was murdered and filed a first information report in this regard.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Sunanda-Pushkar-was-murdered-Delhi-Police/articleshow/45775554.cms|title=Sunanda Pushkar was murdered: Delhi Police|work=The Times of India|date=6 January 2015 }}</ref> Pushkar's domestic help alleged that Pushkar had often fought with Tharoor on the phone, and days before her death had threatened Tharoor that she would "disclose everything" and as such, he would be "finished".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sunanda-Pushkar-had-a-visitor-Sunil-sahab-at-hotel-two-days-before-her-death-Shashi-Tharoors-help-tells-cops/articleshow/45815608.cms|title=Sunanda Pushkar had a visitor 'Sunil sahab' at hotel two days before her death, Shashi Tharoor's help tells cops|work=The Times of India|date=9 January 2015 }}</ref>
Subramanian Swamy, a BJP politician, tried to fight this case against Tharoor in January 2015. On 20 May 2015, a trial court allowed Delhi Police to conduct lie detector test on three suspects related to her death.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sunanda Pushkar murder case: Court allows polygraph test on three suspects|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2015/05/sunanda-pushkar-murder-case-court-allows-polygraph-test-on-three-suspects/|accessdate=20 May 2015|agency=ANI|publisher=Bihar prabha |date=20 May 2015}}</ref>
In May 2018, Tharoor was charged with abetment to suicide of his wife and marital cruelty under sections 306 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code. However Tharoor denied all the charges.<ref>{{cite web | title=Shashi Tharoor charged in Sunanda Pushkar death case | website=Hindu Business Line | date=14 May 2018 | url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/shashi-tharoor-charged-in-sunanda-pushkar-death-case/article23881302.ece | access-date=29 August 2020}}</ref>
On 18 August 2021, Special Court in Delhi discharged Shashi Tharoor from all charges for Pushkar's death.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/sunanda-pushkar-death-case-delhi-court-clears-shashi-tharoor-of-all-charges-11629265460504.html |title=Shashi Tharoor cleared from all Charges |date=18 August 2021 |work=Mint |access-date=18 August 2021 }}</ref>
==See also== *List of unsolved deaths *Shashi Tharoor
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pushkar, Sunanda}} Category:1962 births Category:2014 deaths Category:People from Sopore Category:Kashmiri Pandits Category:Canadian businesspeople Category:Indian emigrants to Canada Category:Canadian people of Kashmiri descent Category:Businesspeople of Indian descent Category:University of Kashmir alumni Category:Canadian expatriates in India Category:Canadian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates Category:Unsolved deaths in India Category:20th-century Canadian businesswomen Category:20th-century Canadian businesspeople Category:21st-century Canadian businesswomen Category:21st-century Canadian businesspeople Category:Shashi Tharoor