Absconding Twisha Sharma's husband, Samarth Singh, arrested after 10 days
What's the story
Samarth Singh, the husband of Twisha Sharma, who was found hanging at their Bhopal home on May 12, has been arrested. The arrest comes 10 days after he had gone into hiding. He surrendered at a Jabalpur court and was subsequently taken to Bhopal by the police. The family of Sharma has accused Singh and his mother Giribala Singh, a retired judge, of harassment and demanded strict action against them.
Investigation controversy
Second autopsy ordered by HC
Initially said to be a suicide, her family alleged she was harassed for dowry and humiliated repeatedly. They demanded a second autopsy after alleging lapses in the first one and refused to take custody of her body. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has now allowed a second post-mortem to be conducted by an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi team in Bhopal.
Public statements
Singh family claims Sharma was depressed
Sharma's family claimed she had confided in them and friends about feeling "trapped in her marriage." The Singh family, on the other hand, claimed she was depressed and used narcotics. Appearing for Giribala, her lawyer opposed the demand for a second autopsy, saying, "It is an insult to the medical fraternity. It reflects their own incompetence and shows they do not trust their own doctors."
Legal proceedings
Police move to cancel anticipatory bail of Singh
The Madhya Pradesh government has recommended handing over the case to the CBI and gave its consent to transfer the investigation to the central agency. "The authorization explicitly covers the investigation of the primary offence, any abetment to the crime, and any related criminal conspiracy," the official notification issued by the Home Department read In a related development, the police have moved to cancel Giribala's anticipatory bail. They argued that she tampered with evidence and influenced the investigation.