Supreme Court to hear Twisha Sharma death case:Questions raised over police investigation and hospital role in investigation

Multiple hearings related to the death case of actress-model Twisha Sharma are scheduled today in the Supreme Court, the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the Bhopal district court. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant took suo motu cognisance of the matter on Saturday. A bench led by him will hear issues related to alleged institutional bias, the investigation process and the role of the police and hospital authorities in the case. Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh High Court will hear petitions seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted by a Bhopal district court to Twisha’s mother-in-law, retired district judge Giribala Singh. The petitions have been filed by the Madhya Pradesh government and Twisha’s father. Separately, the Bhopal district court will hear an application seeking preservation of call detail records of Twisha’s husband Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh from May 12 to May 20, along with CCTV footage from AIIMS Bhopal. Supreme Court takes suo motu cognisance According to sources, the Supreme Court registry submitted a note before the Chief Justice seeking permission to initiate proceedings in the matter. The note reportedly stated that the request was based on “media reports and other circumstances surrounding Twisha’s death.” It also referred to concerns that the fairness of the investigation may have been compromised because Twisha’s mother-in-law is a retired district judge. The registry suggested that, if approved, the matter should be registered as a “Suo Motu Writ Petition (Criminal)” and listed before an appropriate bench to consider strengthening protocols for ensuring fair investigations in sensitive cases. Chief Justice Surya Kant approved the proposal. High Court hearing may be deferred Advocate Gopesh Yash Tiwari from the Jabalpur High Court said the Supreme Court bench hearing the matter includes Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi. Meanwhile, advocate Pankaj Dubey said the hearing in the High Court regarding Giribala Singh’s bail may be postponed as the High Court could wait for directions from the Supreme Court. Twisha’s in-laws have maintained that the actress died by suicide, while her parental family has accused her husband and in-laws of murder. Samarth Singh claims behaviour changed after pregnancy Twisha’s husband Samarth Singh is currently under seven-day police remand. During questioning, he reportedly told investigators that their relationship was normal after marriage but Twisha’s behaviour changed after her pregnancy was confirmed. According to Samarth, Twisha often expressed that balancing domestic life with the glamour industry had become difficult for her, which increased tension between the couple. He also stated that on the evening of May 12, Twisha returned from a beauty parlour, after which the two went for a walk, had dinner together and spent time together. Later, she allegedly spoke with her family members over the phone. AIIMS Delhi team to return to Bhopal today A team from AIIMS Delhi conducted a second postmortem examination on Twisha’s body on Sunday. The procedure lasted around three hours at AIIMS Bhopal, following which the team left with photographs, videos and written observations. The team is expected to return today with its findings. Professor and Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at AIIMS Delhi, Dr. Sudhir Kumar Gupta, said the final postmortem report would take time. He stated that histopathology and viscera analysis are still pending. Key questions surrounding the investigation 1. Questions over double ligature marks The first postmortem report reportedly recorded two parallel ligature marks on Twisha’s neck. According to the report, the noose appeared to have wrapped around the neck twice. Despite this, the cause of death was listed as “suicide by hanging.” Twisha’s family argues that such marks are uncommon in ordinary hanging cases. 2. Delay in recovery of the noose At the time of the first postmortem examination, the alleged noose was neither handed over to doctors nor seized by the police. After objections were raised by family members, the noose was reportedly recovered on May 15. Experts say that in such cases, the noose is generally sent along with the body for forensic examination. The delay has raised questions regarding police procedure. 3. Injury marks found on the body According to Twisha’s family, several injury marks were found on her body. Multiple wounds were reportedly found between her left elbow and wrist. The first postmortem report stated that the injuries may have been caused by the impact of a hard object. However, the report reportedly contained limited details regarding the depth and severity of the injuries. 4. Questions over intact hyoid bone Medical experts say that in many hanging cases, the hyoid bone or thyroid cartilage is often affected. However, the first postmortem report reportedly described these structures as intact. Although blood traces in tissues were mentioned, the report did not provide detailed comments on the preserved condition of the bone. This aspect is also expected to be reviewed during the second postmortem examination. 5. Discrepancy in height raises questions over medical examination Questions have also been raised regarding Twisha’s height mentioned in the first postmortem report. The AIIMS Bhopal report reportedly recorded her height as 166 centimetres, while family members claim she was 172 centimetres tall. Advocate Ankur Pandey has questioned the accuracy of the report and the functioning of the medical panel involved in the first examination.