'My son will show up': 8 days on, Twisha Sharma's husband Samarth yet to be traced; what we know

BHOPAL: Police in Bhopal have formed six teams to trace the husband of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, a Noida woman who was found dead at her in-laws’ home in Katara Hills on May 12.Cops have announced a cash reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Twisha’s husband, advocate Samarth Singh, who remains absconding, eight days after death.Police said they have also written to the passport office seeking suspension of his passport and issuance of an alert to prevent him from leaving the country.ACP Rajneesh Kashyap said the case was being treated as a “top priority”, with cyber teams assisting in efforts to locate the accused.An FIR was registered on May 14 against Samarth Singh and his mother, retired district judge Giribala Singh, under charges related to dowry death and harassment.A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the case.Twisha’s family has refused to accept her body after the post-mortem, insisting on a second autopsy at AIIMS Delhi. Police said they have formally informed AIIMS authorities about the family’s request.The case took another turn after a local court in Bhopal summoned the police diary following a plea filed by Twisha’s family seeking a second post-mortem examination.Judicial magistrate first class Anudita Gupta fixed the matter for hearing on Wednesday to examine the investigation records.According to advocate Ankur Pandey, representing the family, the plea pointed to alleged lapses in the investigation, including the delay in registration of the FIR and the absence of the “ligature” material in the initial post-mortem examination.ACP Kashyap said the forensic team had seized a belt from the scene, which investigators believe was used as the ligature material.However, he acknowledged that the investigating officer submitted it to AIIMS a day after the post-mortem instead of during the examination itself.“The circumstances surrounding the delay in submission are being probed,” he said, adding that the forensic report is awaited.Twisha’s family has also raised concerns over the neutrality of any further medical examination conducted in Bhopal.Their lawyer claimed that Giribala Singh’s sister, who is a surgeon in the city, was seen near AIIMS Bhopal during the first post-mortem examination.In a statement issued on Monday, Twisha’s family questioned why there was “hesitation or silence” over conducting an independent second autopsy at AIIMS Delhi.“A grieving family that has already lost its daughter is only asking for truth, scientific clarity, and an investigation free from doubt. When a young woman is no longer alive to speak for herself, every unanswered question deepens the pain of the family and weakens public confidence in the process,” the statement said.“An independent review would not harm the innocent, it would only strengthen faith in justice and ensure that no shadow of doubt remains over the investigation,” it added.Meanwhile, Twisha’s mother-in-law, retired judge Giribala Singh, has publicly denied allegations against the family and described Twisha as emotionally unstable after learning of her pregnancy."Within 5 months, I realised that she held quite liberal views... on the 17th, the moment she received confirmation of her pregnancy, her entire demeanour changed; she declared that she did not want to keep this child. That very evening, when I returned home from the office, I saw that she was in a terrible state; she was physically beating herself. She kept crying out, 'I cannot go on living like this!'. I told her, 'If you truly wish to leave, we can arrange your ticket for tomorrow so you may depart with dignity'.""We do not know where she had gone in the night... I also asked her mother. She also said that she does not know about this. She acts entirely on her own whims, taking steps that are completely reckless and impulsive... Following that incident, her mother came here on the 23rd. She didn't even stay; she simply said she would return on the 30th when Samarth arrives... On the 30th, she returned and once again became adamant about going to the hospital to undergo an MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy)..."Speaking to ANI, Giribala Singh also said her son was emotionally affected after the abortion."Regarding Samarth, boys often aren't able to express their emotions through tears... My son is suffering because right from the very beginning, her behaviour was like that, he tried, but there was absolutely no sign of improvement.""There wasn't such a fight. But after this MTP, a sense of distress inevitably settles in one's mind... her stubbornness and her insistence that 'you cannot control me'. if there are two conflicting voices within someone's mind, then what conclusion would you draw? Samarth will appear. However, he also possesses the right to protect his own liberty. It is essentially a case that warrants dismissal, and one in which we should actually be the ones receiving public sympathy," she added.