Twisha Sharma Dowry Death Case: Husband, Former Judge Mother-in-Law Sent to 14 Days Judicial Custody as CBI Intensifies Probe

June 2, 2026 : A special CBI court in Bhopal on Tuesday remanded Samarth Singh, husband of deceased model and actor Twisha Sharma, and his mother, retired district judge Giribala Singh, to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the alleged dowry death case of the 33-year-old woman. The order was passed after the expiry of their five-day custodial interrogation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which did not seek any further police custody.

The case relates to the death of Twisha Sharma, who was found dead at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12. Following her death, an FIR was registered alleging dowry harassment, cruelty and dowry death under Sections 80(2), 85 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.

According to the prosecution, Twisha’s family accused her husband and in-laws of subjecting her to sustained harassment and cruelty over dowry demands, ultimately leading to her death. The family has further alleged that she faced continuous mental harassment during her marriage and that the accused played a role in abetting her death.

Twisha Sharma, a former model and actor from Noida, married advocate Samarth Singh in December 2025 and subsequently moved to Bhopal to live with her husband’s family. The matter quickly drew public attention after her family questioned the impartiality of the initial police investigation and raised concerns over public statements allegedly made by the accused that they described as attempts to malign the deceased’s character.

The investigation initially began with the Madhya Pradesh Police. An FIR was registered against Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh on May 15. On the same day, a trial court granted anticipatory bail to Giribala Singh, while Samarth remained untraceable. A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was subsequently constituted to investigate the allegations. As public pressure mounted, Twisha’s family staged protests and demanded an independent probe into the circumstances surrounding her death.

On May 18, a sessions court rejected Samarth Singh’s anticipatory bail plea. The police later announced a reward for information leading to his arrest, increasing it from ₹10,000 to ₹30,000. Twisha’s family also met the Chief Minister, seeking a CBI investigation and a second post-mortem examination. The Madhya Pradesh High Court later permitted the second post-mortem, while the State Government initiated steps to transfer the case to the central agency.

Meanwhile, Giribala Singh was repeatedly summoned to cooperate with investigators, while Samarth Singh pursued additional legal remedies. On May 22, he was taken into custody by police from the Jabalpur District Court premises when he appeared there intending to surrender, according to his counsel.

The anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh was subsequently challenged before the Madhya Pradesh High Court by both the State Government and Twisha Sharma’s parents. On May 27, the High Court set aside the bail order, holding that the facts and circumstances of the case warranted custodial investigation. The court found sufficient grounds to interfere with the trial court’s decision, which had largely relied on the contention that the primary allegations and WhatsApp communications were directed against her son rather than against her personally.

Samarth Singh had also unsuccessfully sought anticipatory bail before the trial court. After his plea was rejected, he approached the High Court but later withdrew his petition with liberty to surrender before the competent court.

The CBI, which has now taken over the investigation, recently carried out a reconstruction of the events surrounding Twisha Sharma’s death at the matrimonial residence. As part of the exercise, investigators used a sand-filled dummy weighing around 80 kilograms and attached iron dumbbells to its feet to recreate the physical circumstances and examine the prosecution’s theory regarding the manner of death. The reconstruction forms part of the agency’s forensic and evidentiary assessment as it seeks to determine the exact circumstances leading to the alleged dowry death. Both accused will remain in judicial custody while the investigation continues.