M A I N   N E W S

Natwar’s bahu found dead
Cops suspect murder, autopsy finds no bullet, stab wound
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 17
Mystery shrouds the death of the estranged daughter-in-law of senior Congress leader K. Natwar Singh. The body was found in a five-star hotel early this morning. No arrests have been made in the case.

The police said the body of Natasha, in her mid-20s was found early this morning in the first floor balcony of Hyatt Hotel in south Delhi. The body was taken to Safdarjung Hospital for post-mortem.

Senior Congress leader Natwar Singh coming out of the forensic lab of  Safdarjung Hospital  in New Delhi where his daughter-in-law Natasha Singh's body was kept for post-mortem on Sunday. — PTI photo

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, South West, Mr Taj Hassan, said the post-mortem report showed that no bullet wounds or stab injuries have been found on Natasha Singh’s body in the post mortem. The wounds inflicted on the body could have been due to a fall.

“The post-mortem reveals that several of her ribs and other bones were broken, apparently due to the fall,” Mr Hassan said.

However, he did not rule out the theory of murder and said, “We are verifying some facts after which we will be able to come to a conclusion.” He said several persons, including her estranged husband Jagat Singh, were being questioned.

Natasha and her husband Jagat Singh had been living separately for quite sometime and had also reportedly filed for divorce. The husband has the custody of their two children.

Natwar Singh, former Minister of State for External Affairs and currently member of the Congress Working Committee, expressed shock at the death and said he had no idea as to who could be behind it.

Mr Jagat Singh, who identified her body, denied his involvement in the death. “It is a fact that we were on our way to separation, but the allegations that I could be involved in the murder are scandalous,” he said.

The DCP said a missing complaint was filed by some friends of Natasha at the Greater Kailash police station after midnight when she did not return home after a party.

The police has seized her mobile phone and are verifying the calls made from it in her last hours.

An intriguing SMS message said to have been sent from the phone stated, “I am going to another world.” SMS messages could also have been sent to mislead the investigators, the police said.

Armed police protection was given to Natasha after an unknown woman attacked her in December with a knife at her Greater Kailash residence, severely injuring her neck.

Natasha had told the police that she regularly received threat calls due to her friendship with Vinay Kapoor, a company executive, who too was attacked by some men in December near her home.

Natasha’s counsel rules out suicide angle

New Delhi, March 17
Natasha Singh, daughter-in-law of senior Congress leader K. Natwar Singh, was not a “weak person” to commit suicide, her counsel today said and confirmed that her friends had received “an unusual SMS message” on their mobiles which had led them to file a missing complaint.

“Last night, my assistant Sushmita (Deb) called up to tell me that Natasha’s friends had got a strange SMS message following which I asked her to go to her house and find out about her whereabouts,” Malvika Raj Kothari, counsel of Natasha, said here. The SMS message was: “I am going to another world”.

Ms Kothari, who was in Ranchi last night, said on her return here today that after her assistant found Natasha missing from her house at Greater Kailash past midnight, a complaint was filed at the local police station.

To a question whether a finger could be pointed towards her husband Jagat Singh, she said “Well, I cannot comment on this and it is for the investigators to find out.”

Ms Kothari, who had known Natasha for the past two years, said her client was “not a weak person to commit suicide.”

About the relations between Natasha and her husband, Ms Kothari said it was a “very tempestuous kind of relationship” but the last time “I met her...she (Natasha) did say that Jagat seemed to be sort of softer and gentler.”

Ms Kothari said “I asked whether she had planned to patch up things and she said I don’t think I could go back.” PTI