The probe into the death of former actor-model Twisha Sharma has come under renewed scrutiny on Sunday after allegations emerged over the handling of a crucial piece of evidence; the ligature reportedly used in the incident. The developments have surfaced through court submissions and documents cited by the complainant side, raising fresh questions even as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues probing the incident. 

The seizure, identification and preservation of the ligature recovered after Sharma was found dead at her marital house in Bhopal are central to the allegations. 

Identification of ligature under scrutiny

As per the details presented before the Madhya Pradesh High Court (HC) in Jabalpur during the anticipatory bail proceedings involving Twisha’s mother-in-law Giribala Singh, the seizure memo prepared on May 13, a day after Twisha’s death, has become a focal point of controversy. 

Reportedly, Sub-inspector Dinesh Sharma had seized the ligature on May 13 at around 9:42 am. The complainant side has however alleged that the seizure memo does not specify who identified the object as the ligature linked to the case. 

The submissions made to the court mentioned that neither Giribala Singh, nor Twisha’s husband Samarth, had identified the item at the time of the seizure. Moreover, no other witness identified the item, which has prompted questions regarding the chain of evidence identification considered pivotal to determining the circumstances surrounding Sharma’s death.

Allegations surface over custody and prevention

Additionally, fresh concerns have also been raised over the custody of the ligature post-seizure. The complainant side said the evidence remained in the possession of the investigating officer and was allegedly stored in his vehicle before being forwarded to AIIMS Bhopal for examination. 

The allegations levelled by the complainant side maintain that questions remain unanswered over whether established procedures were followed to preserve the integrity of the evidence during that period. No judicial finding has been made so far on these claims. Notably, the issue remains paramount as Sharma’s initial post-mortem report concluded that the cause of death was ‘antemortem hanging by ligature.’ 

The doctors who examined Sharma’s body documented a double reddish patterned ligature mark around the upper portion of her neck and noted multiple blunt-force injuries, including bruises and abrasions, on various parts of her body. Forensic samples were then preserved for toxicology and DNA testing. 

Court filings fuel debate

Another aspect which the complainant side highlighted concerns access to investigative records. Allegations were made that the ligature seizure memo formed part of the case diary and should not ordinarily have been available to the accused during the course of the probe. However, the document was allegedly annexed to a reply submitted by Giribala Singh before the High Court on May 27 during anticipatory bail proceedings. 

The complainant side contended that the conduct raises questions regarding how the document became accessible. All the aforementioned allegations remain unverified and have not been adjudicated by any court. 

CBI probe deepens

The developments come amid an ongoing probe by the CBI into the circumstances leading up to Sharma’s death. On June 1, the agency recreated the scene at the Singh family’s house in Bhopal’s Katara Hills, using a dummy weighing approximately the same as Twisha. The CBI sleuths reportedly sought to reconstruct the sequence of events and establish a detailed timeline of the night of May 12. 

The following day, a Bhopal court remanded both Samarth and Giribala to judicial custody after the CBI told the court that several aspects of the investigation remained incomplete, including forensic examination of electronic devices and a second post-mortem report.