A court in Bhopal on Saturday sent Samarth Singh to seven days of police custody in connection with the death of his wife, Twisha Sharma. The remand order came shortly after Singh was brought to Bhopal from Jabalpur following his dramatic surrender before a court there a day earlier.
The court also directed authorities to seize Samarth Singh’s passport while he remains in police custody as part of the ongoing investigation into Twisha Sharma’s death.
According to police sources quoted by PTI, Samarth Singh — who is a lawyer and the son of former judge and ex-Bhopal Consumer Court chairperson Giribala Singh — was brought to the Katara Hills Police Station at around 2 am on Saturday.
He was later produced before the court, where investigators sought police remand for detailed questioning regarding the circumstances surrounding Twisha Sharma’s death.
Sanjay Kumar, Commissioner of Police in Bhopal, had earlier confirmed that police requested custody in order to continue interrogation and gather additional evidence in the case.
Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old woman originally from Noida, was found hanging at her matrimonial home in the Katara Hills area of Bhopal on May 12.
Her death has since triggered a high-profile investigation involving allegations of dowry harassment, legal disputes, and competing claims made by both families.
While Twisha’s in-laws have alleged that she was struggling with drug addiction, her family has accused Samarth Singh and his relatives of subjecting her to dowry-related harassment and mental cruelty that allegedly drove her to death.
Following the hearing, Samarth Singh’s lawyer Gyanendra Sharma stated that the defence had opposed the police request for seven days of custody.
According to Sharma, the defence argued that there was very little left to investigate and therefore sought only one day of police remand instead.
“However, the court allowed the police plea in full. The defence accepted the order and would cooperate with the investigation,” the lawyer said after the hearing.
Meanwhile, Twisha Sharma’s brother Harshit Rana welcomed the court’s decision and reiterated the family’s demand for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Harshit Rana also alleged that Samarth Singh appeared emotionally unaffected during the court proceedings and claimed he was smiling inside the courtroom despite the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
Samarth Singh had reportedly remained absconding for more than a week after an FIR was registered against him and his mother in connection with the case.
On Friday, he withdrew his anticipatory bail petition before the Madhya Pradesh High Court and later surrendered before a district court in Jabalpur. His surrender reportedly created commotion and heavy activity around the court premises before he was formally arrested outside the courtroom.
Responding to questions regarding the Madhya Pradesh government’s recommendation for a CBI inquiry, Commissioner Sanjay Kumar stated that the Bhopal police would continue their investigation until the central agency officially takes over the case.
The police commissioner also addressed questions regarding the interrogation of Giribala Singh. He stated that her statement would be recorded soon and confirmed that police had already issued her a third and final notice after she allegedly failed to appear for questioning earlier.
Kumar additionally noted that police officials had been occupied with High Court proceedings in Jabalpur on Friday in connection with petitions challenging Giribala Singh’s anticipatory bail.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has reportedly issued notice to Giribala Singh, returnable by May 25, in petitions seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to her earlier by a Bhopal court.
In another major development, AIIMS Delhi has constituted a four-member medical board to conduct a second autopsy on Twisha Sharma’s body following directions issued by the High Court.
According to Sudhir Gupta, the High Court authorised the AIIMS Delhi director to establish a specialised forensic panel for the examination.
The team of senior forensic experts is expected to travel to Bhopal using a state-chartered aircraft in order to carry out the second autopsy procedure.
Officials stated that Twisha Sharma’s body is currently being preserved at the mortuary of AIIMS Bhopal.
Twisha’s family had strongly demanded a second post-mortem examination, alleging that the first autopsy contained “discrepancies” and raised serious unanswered questions.
The family had initially approached a lower court seeking permission for another autopsy, but the request was rejected. They subsequently moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which accepted their plea and ordered the second examination.
As the investigation continues, the case has evolved into one of the most closely watched criminal and legal matters in Madhya Pradesh, drawing widespread public attention due to allegations of dowry harassment, claims of influential connections, conflicting narratives from both families, and demands for an independent probe.
