Gaurav Tiwari's Legacy: What India's Best-Known Paranormal Investigator Left Behind

Gaurav Tiwari (2 September 1984 – 7 July 2016) was an Indian paranormal investigator and the founder of the Indian Paranormal Society (IPS). He trained in aviation in Florida before turning to paranormal research and parapsychology (Wikipedia).

For many viewers in India he was the public face of the subject. He appeared on television programmes including MTV's Girls' Night Out, Sony TV's Bhoot Aaya and Syfy's Haunting: Australia (Wikipedia). A series based on his life, Bhay: The Gaurav Tiwari Mystery, was released in December 2025.

He died on 7 July 2016. This page does not add to the speculation that followed. His work is the better subject.

For a wider view of the field he shaped, see famous paranormal investigators in India.

1. An organisation that outlived him

IPS was founded by Gaurav Tiwari in 2009. The society describes itself as "a pioneer in metaphysical/anomalous research around the globe, especially in India" (IPS About). Its own timeline runs without a break from 2009 to the present. The full story is in The Indian Paranormal Society: History.

2. A motto that doubles as a method

"Knowledge cancels Fear" is still the line IPS uses to describe its mission (IPS About). It is a working rule, not a slogan: a frightening experience loses its power once it is explained, and when it cannot be explained, it is at least documented honestly.

3. A rule against superstition

IPS says it aims "to shun myths/superstitions by logical evaluation, critical thinking and applying principles of forensic science" (IPS About). In a country where reports of hauntings are often met with rituals rather than questions, that stance is the core of his legacy.

4. A standard for how investigators behave

The society's stated values include respect for clients and their property, honesty, and drawing conclusions "without fabrication" (IPS About). For more on the practical lessons, read What Gaurav Tiwari taught paranormal investigators in India.

The method that came out of his work is simple to state and hard to practise:

1. Research before the visit. Understand the place, its history and the reports.
2. Baseline first. Record normal conditions before looking for anything unusual.
3. Rule out natural causes. Structural, environmental, psychological and human-error explanations come first.
4. Capture and log evidence. Every reading has a time, a place and a context.
5. Report honestly. The IPS blog sorts findings into resolved, partially resolved, unresolved and inconclusive (IPS blog).

The full how-to is in Paranormal Investigation: Step by Step.

Rith Deb was directly mentored by Gaurav Tiwari. He joined the Indian Paranormal Society in 2013 and is today a core team member; IPS lists his work as client interviews and audio-video evidence analysis (IPS About). He is based in Mumbai.

The continuity shows in three places:

• In the field: Rith follows IPS methodology in his investigations, starting from the rule that natural explanations are ruled out first.
• In writing: he is the sole author of How to Become a Paranormal Investigator. For a free starting point, read How to Become a Paranormal Investigator in India.
• In teaching: his own learning resources are listed on the courses page. They are his own work, not an Indian Paranormal Society programme.

rithdeb.com is Rith Deb's personal site. It is not the Indian Paranormal Society's website and does not offer IPS membership.