‘Cybercrime Expert, Crime Scene Specialist’: HC Flags Giribala’s Technical Expertise, Evidence Tampering Fears In Twisha Death Probe

New Delhi: In one of the strongest observations yet made in the Twisha Sharma death case, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has flagged former judge Giri Bala Singh’s specialised expertise in cybercrime and digital forensics while expressing serious apprehensions about possible tampering of evidence during the investigation.

While quashing the anticipatory bail earlier granted to Giri Bala, Justice Devnarayan Mishra observed that Giri Bala had undergone specialised training in cybercrime investigation, cyber forensics, digital signature technology and crime scene management, technical areas that could potentially enable manipulation or interference with electronic and physical evidence.

The court explicitly noted that, given her expertise, “the possibility of tampering with or influencing evidence cannot be ruled out”, making the observation one of the most explosive aspects of the High Court’s order.

The remarks assume major significance as the Twisha Sharma death case has already been mired in controversy over allegedly leaked CCTV footage, allegations of witness influence and claims by Twisha’s family that critical evidence may have been compromised during the initial stages of the investigation.

CCTV Leak Raises Serious Questions

A major issue flagged by the High Court concerns the CCTV footage seized during investigation from the residence where Twisha Sharma died.

The court noted that despite the footage having been seized by investigators, portions of the videos still found their way onto social media platforms and went viral publicly.

Treating the matter seriously, the court questioned how evidence that was officially under investigative custody could enter the public domain.

The order observed that the leak raises concerns regarding both the confidentiality of the investigation and the overall security and sanctity of evidence collected in the case.

The observations have now intensified scrutiny over whether digital evidence in the case remained protected and untampered during the period when anticipatory bail remained in force.

CBI May Seek Custodial Interrogation

The High Court further observed that several crucial aspects of the case remain under investigation and said the CBI may now take the accused into custody for interrogation if required.

The court’s observations are expected to significantly strengthen the agency’s case for custodial questioning.

Investigators are probing multiple aspects of the case, including the sequence of events preceding Twisha’s death, the injury marks found on her body, alleged dowry harassment, digital communications and financial transactions.

Presence During Post-Mortem Under Scanner

The court also made critical observations regarding the post-mortem process itself.

According to the documents submitted in the order, Giri Bala’s sister Rajbala Singh and senior doctor Yashveer JK were present during the post-mortem examination, a fact the court termed “significant” from the perspective of investigation.

The High Court order notes that the post-mortem report documented six injury marks on Twisha’s body.

The court observed that despite Giri Bala and her son Samarth Singh being present in the same house at the time of the incident, no satisfactory explanation had been provided regarding the injuries.

The court also recorded that doctors had reportedly indicated that these injuries could not have been caused merely while bringing Twisha’s body down from the terrace or during removal of the body from the ligature.

HC Pulls Up Giri Bala Over Non-Cooperation

In another major setback for the former judge, the High Court noted that despite repeated notices from investigators, Giri Bala failed to appear before the investigating agency to record her statement.

The court observed that the accused persons are influential people who may potentially influence witnesses, threaten family members of the deceased or tamper with evidence.

The observations align with repeated allegations made by Twisha’s family, who have consistently claimed that a powerful “VIP nexus” was being used to shield the accused.

Twisha’s brother Major Harshit Sharma had earlier alleged that while Giri Bala had sufficient time to give media interviews and hold press interactions, she allegedly avoided cooperation with investigators.

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