Background and Incident
In India, where thousands of young women are murdered annually over insufficient dowries, dowry deaths seldom attract significant media attention.
However, the death of Twisha Sharma in the central city of Bhopal on 12 May has ignited extensive media coverage, with the case dominating headlines daily.
Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing.
The 33-year-old model and actor had been married for only five months to lawyer Samarth Singh when she was discovered dead in their matrimonial home.
Twisha's parents and siblings have accused Samarth Singh and his mother, retired judge Giribala Singh, of torturing her over dowry demands and allege that she was murdered.
Giribala Singh has dismissed these accusations as "baseless," asserting that Twisha suffered from mental health issues and took her own life.
Police official Rajnish Kashyap Kaul informed BBC Hindi that a dowry death case has been registered against the Singhs, and investigations are ongoing to determine whether Twisha's death was a murder or suicide.
Authorities are also searching for Samarth, who is currently absconding. A cash reward has been offered for information leading to his whereabouts, and a lookout notice has been issued to prevent him from leaving the country.
A Bhopal court granted anticipatory bail to Giribala Singh but denied Samarth's bail application, ordering him to surrender by 23 May.
Giribala Singh stated she is unaware of her son's location but indicated he plans to seek bail in the high court and will surrender if denied.
"Our lawyer advised him to stay away. He told him you'll be lynched if you came out. There's a tirade against him, people are calling for his hanging," she told video platform Mojo Story.
"You must remember that my son has lost a deeply loved one, he's lost his companion in life. And we can't even grieve Everyone is against us," she added.
Meanwhile, Twisha's family has refused to cremate her body and requested a second post-mortem examination. The initial autopsy report, reviewed by the BBC, indicated death by hanging but also noted injuries sustained prior to death. A court denied the request for a second autopsy but ordered authorities to preserve the body to prevent decomposition.
With Samarth still missing, Twisha's family making serious allegations against the Singhs, and the former judge publicly discussing Twisha's alleged mental health issues, media coverage has been relentless. A "justice for Twisha Sharma" page has emerged on Instagram and has been featured in media reports.
Public Interest and Background of the Individuals
The intense public interest stems from Twisha's profile and the reputation of the family she married into. Members of India's judiciary are generally expected to uphold exemplary standards.
Twisha was a model and actor crowned Miss Pune in 2012 after winning a beauty pageant in the western Indian city. She appeared in several advertising campaigns and acted in a Telugu-language film. In recent years, she worked as a marketing professional with private companies. Friends and family describe her as happy, generous, and ambitious.
Her family reported that she met Samarth, a Bhopal-based lawyer, through a dating app in 2024, and they married in December 2025. Photographs from their wedding day show the couple posing happily.
However, the Sharmas claim tensions arose soon after the marriage. They allege that despite providing dowry at the time of marriage, the Singhs frequently taunted them that the wedding did not meet their "standards"—an accusation Giribala Singh denies. (Though giving and receiving dowry is illegal in India, it remains widely practiced.)
The couple's relationship has come under scrutiny after Twisha's family released recent WhatsApp messages purportedly from her, alleging torture by the Singhs. One message read, "My life is a living hell."
The primary source of conflict, according to the Sharmas, occurred in April after Twisha became pregnant. They allege that her husband and mother-in-law questioned her character, accused her of carrying another man's child, and forced her to undergo an abortion in early May.
Giribala Singh denies these claims, stating that Twisha herself insisted on the abortion, expressing that she did not want children.
Events Surrounding Death
Twisha's father, Navnidhi Sharma, told BBC Hindi that the last contact with their daughter was on 12 May, the night she died, when she called him on WhatsApp at approximately 21:41 local time (16:11 GMT).
"Twisha was talking to her mother when suddenly the line dropped," he said, adding that subsequent calls went unanswered for 20 minutes until Giribala Singh answered and said, "she is no more."
The Sharmas, who initially reported Twisha's death to the police, questioned why the in-laws did not notify authorities immediately. Navnidhi Sharma remarked, "A retired judge surely must know what the protocol in such cases is." Giribala Singh responded that the delay was due to prioritizing rushing Twisha to the hospital.
Giribala Singh, named as a suspect in the police complaint, has faced criticism for holding a press conference and giving extensive media interviews discussing Twisha's mental health and describing her as "liberal." When asked to clarify the term, she referenced "promiscuity." These comments sparked widespread outrage, with many demanding her bail be revoked and her arrest.
Twisha's father stated that these remarks were attempts to tarnish his daughter's reputation.
Investigation and Official Responses
The family has also criticized the police investigation, alleging procedural lapses. On Wednesday, Bhopal's police commissioner Sanjay Kumar acknowledged to the BBC that lapses had occurred but ruled out murder, stating, "based on the post-mortem report and our investigation so far, this is a case of suicide."
Navnidhi Sharma has questioned both the post-mortem findings and the police inquiry, insisting his daughter was murdered and alleging that "influential people are trying to derail the investigation."
Commissioner Kumar's statement is unlikely to conclude the case. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that the federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will now take over the investigation and assured the Sharma family of full government support.
Navnidhi Sharma affirmed his commitment to pursuing justice for his daughter.
"My daughter was wronged in her lifetime, and now every effort is being made to ensure that she does not get justice even after her death. We will not rest until we get her justice."
