The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a 636-page chargesheet in connection with the death of former model and actress Twisha Sharma, naming retired district judge Giribala Singh and her son, Samarth Singh, as accused. Both accused are currently in judicial custody and have moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking bail.
According to sources, the CBI has charged the two with dowry death and cruelty linked to demands for dowry. The chargesheet invokes Sections 80(2), 85, 108 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
The chargesheet was filed after an extensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Twisha’s death in Bhopal. Investigators examined forensic evidence, digital material and other aspects of the case, besides conducting a recreation of the scene.
A special CBI court had directed the agency to file the chargesheet by August 17.
Twisha, 33, a former model and actress who had earlier won the Miss Pune title, was from Greater Noida. She married Bhopal-based advocate Samarth Singh in December 2025. Samarth is the son of Giribala Singh, a retired district judge who had served in Bhopal.
On the night of May 12, Twisha was found hanging at her marital home in the Katara Hills area of Bhopal, also referred to as Bagmugalia. Her husband told authorities that she had hanged herself at around 10.20 pm.
Twisha was taken to AIIMS Bhopal, where she was declared brought dead.
The post-mortem report cited asphyxia caused by ante-mortem hanging by ligature as the cause of death. It also recorded multiple ante-mortem injuries, including contusions on her arm, finger and head.
Twisha’s family alleged that she had faced prolonged harassment over dowry, along with mental and physical cruelty. They also alleged that she was under pressure during her pregnancy, which the family said was discovered in April 2026.
The family referred to WhatsApp conversations in which Twisha allegedly expressed distress and asked to be taken away from Bhopal. They also said she had reported that her husband was shouting at her shortly before a call was disconnected on the evening of her death.
Her family also questioned the handling of her body and raised concerns about possible evidence-related issues.
An FIR was initially registered against Samarth and Giribala under Sections 80(2), 85 and 3(5) of the BNS, along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
The Madhya Pradesh government later recommended a CBI investigation, following which the Supreme Court took cognisance and directed the central agency to take over the case.
The CBI subsequently re-registered the case and arrested the two accused. Samarth was arrested first, while Giribala was arrested after the Madhya Pradesh High Court quashed her anticipatory bail.
The accused have maintained that Twisha died by suicide and have denied allegations of dowry demands. They have also disputed some of the CBI’s claims, including those relating to voice samples. The defence has pointed to other factors, including alleged personal distress, in explaining her death.
The CBI’s chargesheet now formally places the agency’s findings before the court. Giribala Singh and Samarth Singh remain in judicial custody as they await the court’s consideration of their bail pleas.
(With IANS inputs)
