BHOPAL: Two days before a crucial hearing in the suspected dowry death case of actor-model Twisha Sharma, an alleged burglary was reported at her matrimonial home in Bhopal, where she was found hanging on the night of May 12.
The house belongs to Twisha's former judge mother-in-law, Giribala Singh and husband Samarth Singh, both of whom are accused in the high-profile case and are currently in judicial custody. Their custody is scheduled to end on June 30.
According to police sources in Katara Hills, three masked men allegedly entered the house in Bagmugaliya Extension through the rear side during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. They then used a spiral staircase to reach the first floor and allegedly broke into the rooms of Giribala Singh and the couple.
The burglars were reportedly preparing to leave with the loot when they heard the siren of a police patrol vehicle and abandoned the loot before fleeing.
"The property inside the rooms was strewn all around, strongly suggesting that the burglars tried to burgle whatever valuable things they could get. As our police vehicle moved near the house and sounded the siren, the burglars escaped from the way they had entered the house," ACP Rajneesh Kashyap told TNIE on Sunday.
At the time of the incident, Giribala Singh's retired Army officer brother, who has been looking after the house since the arrest of his sister and nephew, was asleep on the ground floor.
Police sources said the intruders abandoned gold jewellery and files containing important documents before escaping.
"Hearing the siren, the burglars panicked and abandoned the jewellery and the files containing important documents before attempting to flee. The police personnel chased them, but the accused managed to escape under the cover of darkness," sources said.
Following the incident, police seized the jewellery and document files from the spot. CCTV footage from the house and surrounding areas is being examined as part of the investigation.
Based on preliminary findings, police have detained two men for questioning, sources added.
Investigators are now examining whether the objective of the break-in was limited to theft or whether it was a planned attempt to access documents related to the Twisha Sharma death case.
Police are probing all aspects of the incident with the help of forensic evidence, CCTV footage and interrogation of suspects.
A key question under investigation is how the intruders gained access to the first-floor rooms, which may have been sealed earlier for evidence preservation by the police and later by the CBI, which is currently probing the suspected dowry death case.