The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has taken over the probe into the death of actor-model Twisha Sharma, has registered an FIR against her husband and mother-in-law.
Sharma, 32, was found dead at her marital home in Bhopal on May 12. Her family has alleged that she was subjected to dowry-related harassment.
On Monday, a CBI Special Crime Unit reached Bhopal to formally take over the investigation and collect relevant documents and evidence. The agency later re-registered the state police FIR—naming Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh as accused—as its own case, as per procedure.
According to the FIR, Giribala allegedly demanded ₹2 lakh from Twisha’s family at the time of the vidai (a wedding ritual), which was paid by the victim’s family on her insistence.
The CBI has invoked sections 80(2), 85, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The same sections had earlier been included in the state police FIR.
According to the police complaint, Samarth Singh stated that he found his wife hanging at around 10:20 pm and rushed her to AIIMS Bhopal. Doctors at the hospital declared her brought dead at 12:05 am on May 13, after which a preliminary report was filed.
The post-mortem report cited “antemortem hanging by ligature” and noted the presence of multiple antemortem injuries. Sharma’s family has alleged she was subjected to torture by her in-laws, who were dissatisfied with the dowry given at the time of her marriage on December 9, 2025.
Her mother-in-law, former judge Giribala Singh, has questioned the alleged medical treatment and her mental state in interviews with the media.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on petitions challenging the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh to May 27.
