NEW DELHI: The family of Twisha Sharma raised questions on the accused husband Samarth Singh after he moved to Madhya Pradesh high court seeking anticipatory bail in the alleged dowry harassment and suicide case.
Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old former model-turned-actor from Noida, was found dead at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s upscale Katara Hills area on May 12. Her family has accused her husband and in-laws of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide, while the Singh family has alleged that she struggled with drug addiction.
During a press conference, Twisha's brother Major Harshit Sharma questioned why the focus was not on locating the main accused.
"Why are we not asking where Samarth Singh is? Why is he absconding? Why are these questions not being asked? Why are they not asking for a second post-mortem?" he said.
"We are here to question the process. The first call made to the police was made by us, not by them. They claimed that they were in a hurry trying to save her. However, the video that has resurfaced clearly shows Girbala Singh moving around very calmly, walking up and down the stairs as if she had all the time in the world," Major Harshit Sharma said.
"It took us more than three days to get the FIR registered. Our FIR was finally lodged on the 15th at 2:30 in the morning. Even before that, their anticipatory bail application had already been filed. It all appears to be a well-orchestrated effort from their side," he added.
Where is Samarth Singh?
Samarth Singh, a lawyer by profession, has been absconding for 10 days, since the FIR was registered. Madhya Pradesh Police has issued a Look Out Circular (LoC) against him and increased the reward for information leading to his arrest to Rs 30,000.
Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar told PTI, "Efforts are on to arrest the main accused in the case. We have also enhanced the reward to Rs 30,000 and also issued a Look Out notice in the matter.”
After failing to get relief from a lower court, Samarth Singh approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court claiming he and his family were cooperating with investigators and that custodial interrogation was not necessary.
In the 69-page petition, the absconding accused claimed the prosecution’s case was based on "imagination and presumptions”. "The entire prosecution story being constructed and built is based on imagination and presumptions," the petition stated.
The plea further argued that WhatsApp chats submitted by the complainant were "edited and incomplete" and had allegedly been tampered with.
Samarth Singh also submitted screenshots of payments made to Twisha and described the dowry harassment allegations as "very disappointing”.
The petition said he was a "respectable person" with no prior criminal record and argued that there was no need for custodial interrogation.
His lawyer Mrigendra Singh claimed that Twisha had not made any statement against her husband or mother-in-law before her death and had not left behind a suicide note.
"We are going to file a writ petition for a CBI probe," the lawyer said, while also criticising the police decision to announce a reward for Samarth's arrest.
Family seeks cancellation of MIL’s bail
Meanwhile, Twisha’s father Navnidhi Sharma has moved the High Court seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh. "We are going to the High Court for the cancellation of the anticipatory bail of her mother-in-law... It is clearly visible what kind of woman she was and how she was torturing her," Navnidhi Sharma told ANI.
He further alleged that the accused family failed to inform police immediately after Twisha’s death. "They didn't think it was appropriate to call an ambulance or the police station; besides, they called all their influential relatives," he claimed.
The family has also been demanding a second post-mortem examination. "The chief minister has assured us that he stands with us in justice. We had demanded an independent CBI investigation, which they have accepted and moved forward with the process... We are adamant on our demand for the second post-mortem," Sharma added.
Earlier on Thursday, Piyush Kumar Tiwari, advocate from Twisha Sharma's side demanded cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Twisha's mother-in-law saying that, "We demand that the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh by the trial court on 15th May should be cancelled as soon as possible because she is violating all the conditions mentioned in the bail order. By holding a press conference, she is taking the investigation in a different direction."
"An attempt is being made to tamper with the evidence as much as possible. Tomorrow we will present all these things before the court. There is absolutely no chance of Samarth Singh getting bail. Tomorrow, we will request that the court hear both cases together. We are making preparations so that her second post-mortem is conducted as soon as possible," Tiwari told ANI.
Police issue final notice to MIL
Police have now issued a third and final notice to Giribala Singh for recording her statement in the case. "If she does not cooperate, we will move the sessions court seeking cancellation of her bail," Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said.
Police sources said notices had been served through post and WhatsApp after officers allegedly failed to locate her at her residence on earlier occasions.
Twisha’s family lawyer Ankur Pandey said the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh was being challenged because the lower court ignored legal provisions relating to dowry death cases.
"We will contest the bail on the ground that the subordinate court ignored material evidence and provisions related to presumption in dowry death cases under Section 118 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023," Pandey said.
The law presumes dowry death if a woman dies under unnatural circumstances within seven years of marriage and there is evidence of dowry-related cruelty soon before her death, unless proven otherwise.
Twisha married Samarth Singh in December 2025. Following her death, Madhya Pradesh Police registered an FIR under Sections 80(2), 85 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita along with provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act against Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh. An SIT has also been formed to investigate the case.
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