Twisha Sharma death case: Husband taken into custody as HC orders second autopsy, MP transfers probe to CBI

Police in Bhopal on Friday took custody of Samarth Singh, the husband of former model-actor Twisha Sharma.

Whose death earlier this month led to allegations of dowry harassment by her family. The developments came as the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered a second post-mortem examination and the state government transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Sharma, 32, was found dead at her residence in the Katara Hills area of Bhopal on May 12. Her family has alleged that she faced harassment linked to dowry demands.

Singh, a lawyer by profession, had earlier withdrawn his anticipatory bail plea before the High Court. Later, he appeared before a district court in Jabalpur seeking to surrender, but the court did not permit it. According to his legal team, a Bhopal police team subsequently took him into custody and transported him to Bhopal.

During proceedings, Justice A K Singh observed that police have the authority to question an accused for up to 24 hours before presenting them before a competent court for judicial or police custody proceedings.

Separately, the Bar Council of India suspended Singh’s licence to practise law with immediate effect.

The High Court also directed that a second autopsy be conducted at AIIMS Bhopal in the presence of experts from AIIMS New Delhi.

While hearing an urgent petition filed by Sharma’s family, the court clarified that ordering a fresh examination should not be interpreted as questioning the original post-mortem findings or the doctors involved.

The court noted that because the death occurred within six months of marriage, a second examination was appropriate to address concerns and remove doubts from any side. It also requested the AIIMS Delhi director to form an expert team that could travel to Bhopal at the earliest, with transportation arranged by the state government.

Advocate Anurag Shrivastava, representing the family, said they had also challenged interim bail granted to Singh’s mother, Giribala Singh. The matter is expected to be heard on Monday.

Earlier in the day, the Madhya Pradesh government formally recommended a CBI investigation under the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. The case registered at Katara Hills police station includes charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Dowry Prohibition Act.

The transfer of the case came shortly after Sharma’s family met Mohan Yadav.

Welcoming both decisions, Sharma’s father said the family was seeking transparency in the investigation and wanted videography of the post-mortem process along with a detailed report. The allegations made by the family have not been established in court, and the investigation remains ongoing.