The Twisha Sharma death investigation has turned into a legal battle over leaked CCTV footage, WhatsApp chats and digital evidence.
Twisha’s family and her in-laws have moved different courts alleging evidence tampering and influence over the investigation.
Madhya Pradesh Police have issued a Lookout Circular against husband Samarth Singh, while the state has initiated an inquiry against Giribala Singh.
The investigation into the death of model-turned-actor Twisha Sharma has escalated into a major legal battle over alleged mishandling and leaking of digital evidence, with both families approaching courts in Madhya Pradesh.
The controversy now centres around leaked CCTV footage, WhatsApp chats, audio recordings and call detail records (CDRs) linked to the alleged dowry harassment case.
While Twisha’s mother-in-law Giribala Singh approached a magistrate court in Bhopal, Twisha’s family and her absconding husband Samarth Singh moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Questions Raised Over Evidence Handling
The controversy began after Bhopal Police allegedly failed to produce the nylon rope reportedly used in the case during the initial postmortem examination at AIIMS Bhopal and submitted it a day later.
Subsequently, CCTV footage, alleged last-call records and private audio clips surfaced on social media, raising concerns over how sensitive digital evidence was being handled.
In her plea before a Bhopal magistrate, Giribala Singh alleged that the DVR system containing CCTV footage from the residence had a technical defect that displayed timestamps more than two days behind the actual time.
The plea also alleged that mandatory panchnama procedures were not followed while seizing the footage and claimed investigators failed to properly identify individuals appearing in the recordings.
According to The Indian Express, eight CCTV cameras had been installed at the residence where Twisha was found dead on May 12.
Twisha’s Family Moves High Court
Twisha Sharma’s family has sought urgent preservation of CCTV footage, subscriber details and CDRs linked to AIIMS Bhopal between May 12 and May 20.
The family alleged that influential individuals connected to the accused attempted to interfere with both the investigation and the postmortem process.
They also questioned how allegedly “doctored” CCTV clips entered the public domain if the police had properly secured the electronic evidence.
The plea further alleged that Giribala Singh made multiple calls to influential persons, which may have impacted the investigation process.
Samarth Singh Challenges Bail Denial
Meanwhile, Samarth Singh has approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court challenging the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea.
In his petition, he argued that allegations of dowry harassment were doubtful because he and his mother had allegedly transferred more than Rs 7 lakh to Twisha Sharma’s account.
He also claimed the WhatsApp chats submitted by the complainant were “edited and incomplete”.
Madhya Pradesh Police have issued a Lookout Circular against Samarth Singh and increased the reward for information leading to his arrest to Rs 30,000.
MP Government Orders Inquiry Against Giribala Singh
The Madhya Pradesh government has also initiated an inquiry against Giribala Singh, who currently serves as chairperson of the District Consumer Commission in Bhopal.
Separately, police have issued a final notice asking her to cooperate with the investigation by recording her statement. Officials said police may move court seeking cancellation of her anticipatory bail if she fails to cooperate.
Earlier this week, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the state government would write to the CBI seeking a probe into the matter.
