Bhopal police have formed six teams to trace the husband of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, a Noida woman found dead at her in-laws' home in Katara Hills on May 12. A cash reward of Rs 10,000 has been announced for information leading to the arrest of Twisha's husband, advocate Samarth Singh, who remains absconding eight days after the death.
Police Actions and Investigation
Police have written to the passport office seeking suspension of Singh's passport and an alert to prevent him from leaving the country. ACP Rajneesh Kashyap stated the case is treated as a top priority, with cyber teams assisting in locating 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.
Family Demands Second Autopsy
Twisha's family has refused to accept her body after the post-mortem, insisting on a second autopsy at AIIMS Delhi. Police have formally informed AIIMS authorities about the request. A local court in Bhopal summoned the police diary after a plea by Twisha's family seeking a second post-mortem. Judicial magistrate first class Anudita Gupta fixed the matter for hearing on Wednesday to examine investigation records.
Advocate Ankur Pandey, representing the family, pointed to alleged lapses, including delay in FIR registration and absence of ligature material in the initial post-mortem. ACP Kashyap said forensic teams seized a belt from the scene, believed to be the ligature, but acknowledged it was submitted to AIIMS a day after the post-mortem instead of during the examination. The circumstances of the delay are being probed, and the forensic report is awaited.
Concerns Over Neutrality
Twisha's family raised concerns about neutrality of any further medical examination in Bhopal, claiming Giribala Singh's sister, a surgeon, was seen near AIIMS Bhopal during the first post-mortem. In a statement, the family questioned hesitation over an independent second autopsy at AIIMS Delhi, emphasizing the need for truth and scientific clarity.
Mother-in-Law's Defense
Giribala Singh publicly denied allegations, describing Twisha as emotionally unstable after learning of her pregnancy. She claimed Twisha did not want to keep the child and exhibited erratic behavior. Singh stated her son is emotionally affected after the abortion and maintained that the case warrants dismissal, asserting they deserve public sympathy.
