Husband and mother-in-law charged over Indian bride's death

India's federal police have filed charges in the case of a 33-year-old model and actor who was found dead in her matrimonial home in May just five months after her wedding.

Twisha Sharma's death on 12 May in Bhopal city sparked a huge media frenzy, with the case making headlines every day amid rival claims of murder and suicide.

In the chargesheet by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Twisha's husband and mother-in-law have been charged with "abetment to suicide" and "cruelty".

Her husband Samarth Singh, a lawyer, and mother-in-law Giribala Singh, a retired judge, have denied the allegations against them.

Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing.

Twisha's death has generated an extraordinary interest in India because in public perception, members of India's powerful judiciary are meant to lead by example.

Twisha's parents and siblings alleged that she was tortured by Singh and his mother over dowry demands and that she was murdered.

Giribala called the accusations "baseless" and alleged that Twisha had mental health issues and that she killed herself. Samarth initially could not be located but later surrendered to police. Giribala was arrested a few days later and the mother and son remain in jail.

"Due to continuous mental cruelty at the hands of both the accused [Twisha's husband and mother-in-law], she was left with no option but to end her life," the CBI said in the 600-page chargesheet submitted in the court last week.

Twisha's family lawyer Ankur Pandey told BBC Hindi that since the CBI has invoked sections related to abetment to suicide, "it means that the investigation has considered the death to be an alleged suicide".

He said the CBI has sought permission from the court for further investigation, saying that "if new evidence emerges during the investigation, role of some more people can be investigated and, if needed, a supplementary chargesheet can be filed".

Giribala Singh's lawyer Inosh George Carlo told the BBC, "The investigation has found no evidence of the earlier allegations of dowry harassment and murder... We have been saying this from the beginning but the media never listened to us."

A model and actor, Twisha was crowned Miss Pune in 2012 after winning a beauty pageant in the western Indian city. She had featured in a number of advertising campaigns and acted in a Telugu-language film. In recent years, she had also worked as a marketing professional with private firms.

According to the chargesheet, Twisha met Samarth through a dating app in February 2025 and the couple married in December.

In the chargesheet, the CBI said its investigation showed that after their marriage, Samarth subjected Twisha to mental cruelty on several occasions and repeatedly used derogatory terms towards her. "Giribala Singh would from time to time instigate her son to commit mental cruelty on Twisha," it added.

According to Twisha's parental family, the biggest point of friction between her and her in-laws came in April after she became pregnant. They allege that "her husband and mother-in-law questioned her character and accused her of carrying someone else's baby" and "forced her to undergo an abortion in the first week of May".

Giribala Singh had denied the allegations, saying it was Twisha who insisted on the abortion saying that she did not want children.

Days after Twisha's death, the former judge had drawn criticism for addressing a press conference and giving media interviews where she discussed her daughter-in-law's mental health and called her "liberal" - when asked to explain the term by an interviewer, she spoke of "promiscuity".

Her comments led to a huge outrage and Twisha's father said it was an attempt to tarnish his daughter's name.