CBI reconstructs model Twisha Sharma's death scene

CBI officers reconstructed Monday the circumstances of former model-actor Twisha Sharma’s death by alleged suicide at her marital home in Bhopal on May 12, using a sand-filled dummy weighing around 80kg with iron dumbbells tied to its feet to replicate weight and body balance. The idea was to test whether ex-judge Giribala Singh and her lawyer son Samarth’s account of bringing the deceased down after finding her hanging was plausible. Giribala, who served as Bhopal’s district judge between 2021 and 2023, was brought to the house along with her son for the reconstruction of events. The exercise lasted nearly two hours. Investigators asked Giribala to demonstrate removing the noose and untying the gymnastic strap from the dummy as Samarth held it. They observed and recorded each step, sources said. Mother and son were also asked to explain, step by step, how events unfolded from the moment Twisha was allegedly found hanging to the process of bringing her down and taking her to hospital. The agency is examining whether the details recorded so far match the layout of the house, the time of the alleged suicide and forensic indicators. The reconstruction is one of several investigative threads CBI is pursuing simultaneously. The probe team is likely to summon the doctor who had supposedly advised Twisha to undergo an abortion, seeking details of consultations, prescriptions, and her physical and mental condition ahead of taking that step. Investigators are also scrutinising Samarth’s movements during the period he remained untraceable after an FIR regarding his wife’s death was registered on May 15. They are specifically looking into allegations of possible tampering of evidence and claims of physical assault on Twisha prior to her death. Giribala’s police remand is set to end Tuesday, and it remains unclear whether CBI will seek an extension or produce her in court for judicial custody. The decision is expected to depend on the progress of interrogation and if investigators believe further custodial questioning is necessary. The prospect of judicial custody has raised an unusual concern. Sources in the prison administration said several inmates currently housed in Bhopal jail were women convicted or sentenced in cases heard by Giribala during her tenure on the bench, including accused and convicts linked to the Vyapam scam. Sources said keeping a former judicial officer in a regular prison barrack was fraught with security risks since inmates convicted and sentenced by her could harbour resentment. “In such cases, the prison administration generally conducts a threat and vulnerability assessment,” a senior official said, adding that former judicial officers, police personnel and public servants could require additional security considerations. Prison authorities may adopt special arrangements in exceptional situations, including segregated accommodation, additional surveillance or separate enclosures, depending on the perceived threat, officers said.