BHOPAL: The case related to the death of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma took a new turn on Monday after her mother-in-law, retired judge Giribala Singh, alleged she was "a drug addict undergoing psychiatric treatment".
Twisha, who met Bhopal-based lawyer Samarth Singh through a dating app in 2024 and married him in December 2025, was found hanging at her marital home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12.
Her family has alleged murder over dowry harassment, while police said the preliminary post-mortem report from AIIMS Bhopal indicated death due to “hanging suicide”.
Addressing a press conference, Giribala Singh alleged that Twisha had informed Samarth over the phone that she had taken a Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) pill while he was attending court proceedings.
“The first child is very important for any family, but she never allowed us even a moment of happiness. Samarth was in court when Twisha called him and told him that she had taken MTP pills. She took the pills on May 7,” she said, claiming Twisha repeatedly insisted she did not want a child.
The case took another turn after details from the bail plea filed on behalf of Samarth Singh surfaced on social media, alleging that Twisha was “a drug addict undergoing psychiatric treatment”.
The plea claimed Twisha was addicted to drugs, became irritable without narcotic substances, was undergoing psychiatric treatment and counselling, and that her behaviour towards her in-laws changed after she became pregnant. It also stated that she had suffered a miscarriage.
“She herself had admitted to consuming marijuana in large quantities. She repeatedly insisted that she did not want a child. Twisha was undergoing treatment under Dr Satyakant Trivedi. Medicines had been prescribed to her, but she did not take them,” Giribala Singh said.
She denied allegations of dowry harassment and said Twisha was regularly given money online for her needs, with transaction receipts ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000 submitted in court.
“Twisha had first visited our home herself. Later, her parents came. There were significant differences between our families, but we still agreed to the marriage,” she said.
Responding to allegations of influence, she said, “Even an ordinary person would have got bail in such circumstances. My son would also get bail.”
Referring to the night Twisha was taken to hospital, Giribala Singh said Samarth Singh was “running barefoot in AIIMS” and crying continuously after seeing his wife’s condition.
She also rejected allegations against her son, saying, “Twisha’s father had accused my son of consuming drugs, but that was false. Later, her father apologised to me. He does not take drugs.”
“My husband sacrificed his life for the country. Generations of our family have served in the armed forces,” she added.
A local court, which earlier granted anticipatory bail to Giribala Singh, reserved its order on Monday on the bail plea of absconding accused Samarth Singh.
Meanwhile, a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing allegations of dowry harassment, physical assault and attempts to destroy evidence.
Misrod ACP Rajneesh Kashyap, who heads the SIT, said multiple police teams were trying to trace Samarth Singh.
“In the bail petition, allegations regarding Twisha being a drug addict have been mentioned, but we are strictly investigating the case according to the sections in the FIR,” Kashyap told PTI.
He added that action would be taken if negligence was found in not sending the rope allegedly used in the hanging for post-mortem examination.
On Sunday, Twisha’s family protested outside Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s residence, demanding a fresh post-mortem at AIIMS Delhi.
Her father, Navnidhi Sharma, alleged that the local investigation was compromised and said her body had remained in the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary for five days as the family sought a second autopsy in Delhi.
According to relatives, Twisha wanted to leave Bhopal and return to Noida and had remained in touch with them until around 10 pm on the day of the incident.
