Model-Actress Twisha Sharma Found Dead in Bhopal; Family Alleges Dowry Torture and Murder by Husband and Mother-in-Law, a Retired Judge

Bhopal. Although thousands of women are murdered annually in India in the name of dowry, such incidents rarely find a place in national media. However, the death of 33-year-old model and actress Twisha Sharma in Bhopal city on May 12 has created a huge stir in the Indian media.

Twisha, who won the Miss Pune title in 2012 and acted in various advertisements and Telugu films, was found dead in her own home just five months after her marriage. Her marriage was solemnized in December 2025 with Bhopal lawyer Samarth Singh.

Twisha's family has made serious allegations against her husband Samarth and mother-in-law Giribala Singh, a retired judge, of torturing and murdering her for dowry. On the other hand, former judge Giribala Singh has called these allegations 'baseless' and claimed that Twisha had mental health problems and committed suicide.

According to Bhopal police officer Rajnish Kashyap Kaul, a dowry murder case has been registered against the Singh family and an investigation is underway to determine whether the incident was a murder or a suicide. A lookout notice has been issued for the husband Samarth, who is currently absconding, and the court has ordered him to surrender by May 23. While the court granted anticipatory bail to mother-in-law Giribala, Samarth's application was rejected.

WhatsApp messages sent by Twisha to her family after her relationship with Samarth began to sour have been made public, in which she mentioned extreme torture and said, 'My life has become hell.' According to Twisha's father Navnidhi Sharma, the biggest reason for the dispute started in April when Twisha became pregnant.

The Singh family had raised questions about Twisha's character, accused her of having a child from someone else, and forced her to have an abortion in the first week of May. Former judge Giribala, however, defended herself by saying that Twisha herself did not want to have the child and therefore underwent an abortion.

On the night of her death, May 12, Twisha was talking to her mother on WhatsApp at 9:41 PM. During the conversation, the phone was suddenly disconnected, and 20 minutes later, mother-in-law Giribala picked up the phone and informed that Twisha was no longer in this world.

Twisha's family has expressed serious doubts about the nature of the incident and the preliminary police investigation. Although the first post-mortem report indicated death by hanging, injuries were found on her body before death. Therefore, the family has refused to cremate the body, demanding a second post-mortem. The court has refused the demand for a re-post-mortem but has ordered the body to be preserved.

This incident has gained widespread attention on social media and in the media. A campaign called 'Justice for Twisha Sharma' has been launched on Instagram. The public is particularly outraged because such an incident occurred within the home of a powerful judicial figure, who is responsible for protecting justice. After former judge Giribala Singh commented on Twisha's mental state and her 'liberal character' in press conferences and interviews, demands are being made to cancel her bail and arrest her.

Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar, while admitting some shortcomings in the investigation, stated that based on the post-mortem, it was a suicide. However, after the victim's family accused influential people of trying to derail the investigation, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav assured that the investigation into this incident would be conducted by the central police.

Twisha's father Navnidhi Sharma has expressed determination to continue the fight until his daughter gets justice, saying, 'My daughter suffered injustice even when she was alive, and even after her death, all kinds of attempts are being made to prevent her from getting justice. We will not rest until we get justice.'