New Delhi: A domestic help of former Union minister Shashi Tharoor was questioned by the police for over five hours on Thursday over the death of Mr Tharoor’s wife Sunanda Pushkar a year ago, that is now being treated as murder.

Police sources said Special Investigating Team sleuths interrogated Mr Tharoor’s domestic help Narayan Singh at an undisclosed south Delhi location over five hours.

This came a day after news broke of Mr Tharoor’s letter to Mr Bassi in November in which he alleged Mr Singh was “physically assaulted” by the police into “confessing” they had both murdered Pushkar. These allegations were later denied as baseless.

Police sources said Narayan Singh, who was in Himachal Pradesh, came to New Delhi on Thursday morning after investigators asked him Wednesday night to join the probe. “He may be asked to come for questioning again,” said a senior police officer.

Meanwhile, Delhi police commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi rejected reports that a legal notice was sent to the former minister to join the investigations.

Clarifying no such action was taken, Mr Bassi said Thursday, “We have not issued any formal legal notice to Shashi Tharoor in connection with the probe into his wife’s death.”

He added: “The investigating officer has to collect more information and all evidence examined and verified.”