'Abortion, marijuana, CCTV video': Twist and turns in Twisha Sharma 'dowry' death

BHOPAL: The death of 33-year-old Noida woman Twisha Sharma at her marital home in Bhopal has spiralled into a twisted case marked by allegations of dowry harassment, claims of mental health struggles, courtroom battles, CCTV footage and sharp exchanges between the two families.Twisha, who married Bhopal-based lawyer Samarth Singh in December 2025, was found dead on May 12 at the couple’s residence in Katara Hills area.Her family has accused her husband and in-laws of mental torture and dowry harassment.Police have registered a case against Samarth Singh and his mother, retired judge Giribala Singh, and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.While Giribala Singh has secured anticipatory bail, Samarth Singh’s bail plea was rejected by a Bhopal court.Police have also announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to his arrest.‘All boundaries of defamation’ crossedAdvocate Enosh George Carlo, representing Samarth Singh, said the family had full faith in the judicial system and ongoing investigation.“We have full faith in the judicial system and in the police investigation. If they wish to have a post-mortem conducted elsewhere at any other location, we have absolutely no objection to it. If they wish to have the investigation conducted by the CBI, we have no objection. They have crossed every boundary of defamation,” Carlo told ANI.He added that the accused family had fully cooperated with investigators.“To date, we have extended our full cooperation to the police in their investigation, and we will continue to do so in the future,” he said.CCTV footage shows Twisha heading to terraceA CCTV video that surfaced during the investigation captured what are believed to be Twisha’s final moments before she was found dead.The footage, shared by news agency PTI, shows Twisha walking alone towards the terrace staircase at around 7.20 am on May 12.Nearly an hour later, three men — reportedly her husband, a neighbour and a househelp — are seen attempting CPR on the staircase landing. The footage also shows Giribala Singh entering a room and then going downstairs moments later. The CPR attempts appear unsuccessful, after which Twisha is carried downstairs.Mother-in-law claims Twisha underwent MTPRetired judge Giribala Singh made several claims regarding Twisha’s health and personal life while speaking to reporters and ANI.According to Singh, Twisha had undergone a Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) shortly before her death.“When she started the first course of the MTP, she said she wanted to reverse this, which I knew was not possible. She didn't let us feel that fleeting moment of joy. It is truly heartbreaking; young girls often take this drastic step,” Singh said.She further claimed, “On 7th May, she must have taken the pill; she completed the entire MTP procedure, and we had to support her.”Singh also alleged that Twisha’s parents had remained distant after the marriage.“For five months, her parents never visited. We deliberately did not call her father, as he has a very strange personality,” she alleged.She further claimed that Twisha was undergoing psychiatric counselling.“She went for psychiatric counselling also, and medicines were prescribed to her, which are given to a schizophrenic patient,” Singh said.“She would remain stable for a day or so, but then again, there would be a slight change in her condition. We observed some physical symptoms, a slight trembling in her hands, which is typical of withdrawal symptoms. She destroyed everything,” she added.Prosecution rejects mental health defenceDuring court proceedings, prosecution lawyers strongly rejected the defence argument that Twisha suffered from anxiety, depression and psychological disorders that led her to die by suicide.The prosecution argued that even if the claims were true, investigators must determine why “a bright and joyful girl” allegedly developed such conditions within months of marriage.“It must have been because of torture,” a prosecution lawyer argued before the court.Prosecution lawyer Ankur Pandey later told TOI that the court was informed about the legal presumption applicable in dowry death cases under Section 80(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).He said the provision carries punishment ranging from seven years to life imprisonment and includes a presumption clause under which the accused are presumed guilty unless proven otherwise.The prosecution also questioned why police were allegedly informed late and only after Twisha’s body reached AIIMS.Father questions bail granted to mother-in-lawTwisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma, praised the police arguments opposing anticipatory bail but questioned why Giribala Singh was granted relief despite investigators arguing that the accused were influential and capable of tampering with evidence.“The arguments presented by the police today were very good. The police argued that these individuals are highly influential people and that they could tamper with the evidence,” he told ANI.“If this argument by the police is indeed correct, then based on this, the decision to release the first accused on bail was erroneous,” he added.He further said that in dowry death cases occurring within seven years of marriage, the accused are generally expected to be taken into custody.A relative of the deceased also questioned what they described as inconsistencies in the bail orders, alleging that grounds used to deny bail to Samarth Singh were later overlooked while granting relief to his mother.Police intensify search for Samarth SinghAssistant Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Kashyap Kaul said six teams have been deployed to trace Samarth Singh.“A reward of Rs 10,000 has been announced in the case. Several teams have been deployed to catch the accused Samarth Singh,” ACP Kaul told ANI.He added that authorities had also written to the passport office to prevent the accused from fleeing the country.“Correspondence has also been sent to the passport office so that constitutional action can be taken. Our 6 teams are engaged in the investigation,” he said.Police also confirmed that Twisha’s family is seeking a second post-mortem examination.