A Bhopal court on Wednesday remanded Samarth Singh, the husband of former model and actor Twisha Sharma, to the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), according to a lawyer involved in the case.
The CBI took over the investigation into Twisha Sharma's death on Monday. The former model was allegedly found hanging at her marital home in Bhopal on May 12. The central agency has re-registered the case based on the Madhya Pradesh Police's First Information Report (FIR), naming Samarth Singh and his mother, Giribala Singh, as accused.
Background of the Case
Samarth Singh, a lawyer by profession, was initially arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police from Jabalpur and brought to Bhopal. A magistrate court had earlier remanded him to seven days of police custody, said advocate Ankur Pandey.
Following the transfer of the investigation to the CBI, the SIT no longer required Samarth Singh's custody. The accused was produced before the court, where the federal agency sought his remand, the lawyer explained. Consequently, the court remanded Samarth Singh to CBI custody.
Further Investigation
With the custody of the accused and all related documents now handed over to the CBI, any further investigation into the case will be conducted by the central agency. Today's proceedings in the magistrate's court were merely a formality, Pandey stated. From this point onward, any further legal proceedings will take place in the CBI court concerned, he added.
Taking over the investigation from the state police, the CBI invoked sections 80(2) (dowry death), 85 (husband or relatives subjecting a woman to cruelty), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act. These are the same charges that were earlier applied by the state police.
Family Allegations and Arrest
The Bhopal police had registered the FIR two days after Twisha's death. In their statements, Twisha's family members alleged that she was harassed by her in-laws. They accused the in-laws of subjecting the 33-year-old former Miss Pune to mental harassment and domestic violence, allegedly driving her to take the extreme step.
In several media interviews, Twisha's mother-in-law, however, questioned her alleged medical treatment and mental condition. Samarth Singh was arrested in Jabalpur on May 22 after remaining absconding for 10 days.
Second Post-Mortem
On Sunday, a team of doctors from AIIMS Delhi conducted a second post-mortem on Twisha in Bhopal following directions from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. This was after her parents raised serious concerns over alleged procedural lapses by local authorities.
