In a major development in the Twisha Sharma death case, an AIIMS Delhi medical board has submitted its final report, shedding critical light on the high-profile investigation.
According to the media reports quoting sources, the laboratory and histopathological examinations conducted by the AIIMS medical board had confirmed the presence of skin tissue on the gymnastics belt that was allegedly not produced during the first post-mortem of her body.
The report indicated that it matched the injury pattern, said media reports.
An 11-page report has been submitted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a sealed cover on Friday.
Dr Sudhir Gupta, head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at AIIMS Delhi, said that the board had examined all aspects of the case before submitting the report.
The belt recovered by the police from the scene has been at the heart of the controversy during the initial investigation. Now, with the AIIMS report indicating that the skin presence means that the gymnastics belt was used as a ligature.
The initial postmortem failed to scientifically correlate the injuries on Twisha Sharma's neck with the alleged ligature material, as the investigating officer did not produce the gymnastics belt before the medical board during the autopsy.
A second postmortem was ordered by the Madhya Pradesh High Court after the belt was produced.
The new report establishes a clear physical link between the gymnastics belt and Twisha's injuries. Whether this connection supports the original suicide theory or steers investigators in a different direction will now depend on the CBI's reconstruction of the crime scene.
On May 12, Twisha Sharma was found dead at her matrimonial home within six months of her marriage to lawyer Samarth Singh. Twisha's family has alleged that she was subjected to cruelty and dowry-related harassment, strongly rejecting the initial police theory of death by suicide.
An FIR was registered against the husband and his mother, retired principal district and sessions judge Giribala Singh.
Following the Supreme Court proceedings, the case was later transferred to the CBI.
Samarth, who had initially evaded arrest, later surrendered before a court. Both he and Giribala Singh were subsequently taken into police custody and eventually remanded to judicial custody.
