The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday proposed to transfer the case of Twisha Sharma, the Noida woman who was allegedly harassed for dowry and died last week, to the CBI, even as her family filed a plea in the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a second post-mortem and demanded a comprehensive and independent probe into a series of phone calls allegedly made by Giribala Singh, Twisha’s mother-in-law, to influential public figures and CCTV technicians immediately following her death.
The state government notification proposing to transfer the case to the CBI has been issued by Madhya Pradesh home secretary Krishnaveni Desavatu, an official said.
Twisha was found hanging at her marital home in Bhopal's Katara Hills area on May 12. The family of the 33-year-old model turned actor have accused her in-laws of pushing their daughter to death.
Her in-laws have claimed she was addicted to drugs.
Police registered an FIR under Sections 80(2), 85, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita along with relevant sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act, naming Twisha's husband, Samarth Singh, and mother-in-law, retired judge Giribala Singh.
Samarth is absconding; police have announced a cash reward of Rs 30,000 for information leading to his Singh's arrest and have also approached court for revocation of his passport.
Twisha Sharma's family wants second autopsy
Twisha’s family filed a plea in the high court on Friday seeking a second post-mortem, citing flaws in the first one conducted at AIIMS Bhopal.
The family's appeal to the high court came two days after a lower court turned down their plea.
Twisha’s lawyer, Anurag Shrivastava, told PTI the family has cited “discrepancies” in the first autopsy.
Two days ago, Judicial Magistrate First Class Anudita Gupta in Bhopal rejected the family's plea, stating that the conscience of the court must be satisfied to order a re-postmortem.
Minor infractions of procedure will not impel the court to order a second autopsy, the magistrate had noted.
The lower court also observed that the body is currently kept in the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary at -4°C, but requires -80°C for longer preservation, a facility unavailable anywhere in the city.
‘Probe Giribala SIngh’s phone calls’
Twisha’s family has also demanded a comprehensive and independent probe into a series of phone calls allegedly made by Giribala Singh to influential public figures and CCTV technicians immediately following Twisha’s death.
The family statement came a day after Giribala Singh, a retired additional district judge, informed the first class judicial magistrate that eight CCTVs installed at her premises were being managed by a private company.
Singh also said that the gadgets were not being maintained properly, as a result of which the footage showed a difference of two days, two hours and 20 minutes.
Singh had said in her application on Thursday that the wrong date was creating confusion among the general public.
Twisha's family issued a detailed statement expressing "serious concern" and questioned why the accused was allegedly in quick contact with judges, top officials, and CCTV vendors, while the victim's own parents were left in the dark.
In the press statement, her family cited documents submitted in the court to claim that Giribala Singh had called some senior members of the judiciary and Lokayukta and technicians associated with CCTV maintenance.
Though some of these communications have publicly been defended by the accused as condolence calls, the victim's family strongly questioned the timing and the inclusion of technical staff.
"While the family respects every individual who expressed sympathy... it is unable to understand how persons associated with CCTV maintenance or technical services became relevant participants in such communications immediately after the incident," the statement said.
They said the CCTV footage and digital records are crucial pieces of evidence in any suspicious death investigation and urged the police to probe and verify the purpose, timing and context of every such communication independently through forensic and investigative processes so that no doubt remains regarding the integrity of the evidence.
"This is not an allegation but a legitimate question which deserves clarification through a fair and transparent investigation," the statement said.
The family described the immense pain of discovering that while multiple high-level communications were taking place behind the scenes, they were kept in the dark.
"A grieving mother and father were desperately searching for answers regarding the condition and circumstances of their daughter, yet they found themselves dependent upon fragmented information," the family stated.
The statement also questioned how Giribala Singh, facing serious criminal allegations, is permitted to give interviews and shape media narratives while an active investigation is pending.
"Twisha Sharma is no longer alive to explain her version of events. She cannot answer allegations... The focus should remain on discovering the truth rather than questioning the character of a person who cannot respond," it said.
The family said the case has become a "test of public confidence in the rule of law" and stressed that they are not seeking vengeance or assuming pre-determined guilt, but are demanding equal treatment under the law.
"If every communication was innocent, if every official action was proper... an independent investigation will establish those facts conclusively," the statement said, adding "conversely, if any irregularity is discovered, accountability must follow irrespective of the office, rank, or status of the person involved".
