Twisha Sharma death case: Advocate husband Samarth Singh’s legal licence suspended

NEW DELHI: The Bar Council of India on Friday suspended advocate Samarth Singh from practising law with immediate effect in connection with the alleged dowry death of his wife, model-turned-actor Twisha Sharma, saying the charges against him were serious enough to damage the image and integrity of the legal profession.In an interim order, the apex legal body said advocates are officers of the court and their conduct must not undermine public faith in the justice system. It added that the allegations against Singh had a “direct bearing” on the dignity and discipline of the profession.“Accordingly, Samarth Singh, Advocate, is hereby suspended from practice as an advocate with immediate effect, pending further consideration by the Bar Council of India and/or the appropriate Disciplinary Committee,” the order stated.Twisha Sharma, 33, was found hanging at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12, just months after her marriage. While her in-laws have claimed she struggled with drug addiction, her family has alleged she was subjected to dowry harassment that drove her to death.The Bar Council said the matter involved “serious allegations” linked to the death of a woman at her matrimonial home within months of marriage. Referring to the FIR and the ongoing criminal investigation, it also noted that it had received information that Samarth Singh was absconding and allegedly not cooperating with investigators.Following the suspension order, Singh will not be permitted to appear, plead, file vakalatnama, or practise before any court, tribunal or authority anywhere in the country until further orders.The development came amid major twists in the case on Friday. Samarth Singh, who had allegedly been on the run for over a week, withdrew his anticipatory bail plea before the Madhya Pradesh High Court and later surrendered before a court in Jabalpur. He was subsequently taken into custody by Bhopal police.The high court also directed that a second autopsy of Twisha Sharma be conducted by a specialised team from AIIMS Delhi after concerns raised by her family over the initial postmortem.Separately, the court issued notice to Twisha’s mother-in-law, Giribala Singh, on petitions seeking cancellation of her bail over allegations that she was not cooperating with the probe.