Bhopal dowry death: Twisha Sharma’s family calls for transparent probe, end to 'character trial'

The family of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma has issued an emotional public appeal demanding a transparent investigation into her death and also an immediate end to what they termed a ''posthumous character trial'' aimed at weakening the high-profile case.

Twisha was found dead on the night of May 12 at her marital home in Bhopal's Katara Hills area, following which, the police registered an FIR involving charges of dowry death and harassment against her husband, advocate Samarth Singh, and her mother-in-law, Giribala Singh, an influential retired District Additional Judge (ADJ).

The family issued a three-page statement here to express deep pain and serious apprehensions regarding the integrity of the ongoing probe.

The family said they are fighting this legal battle ''almost entirely alone on the streets of Bhopal'', citing a distinct lack of meaningful support from the local administration, political establishments, and prominent women's rights groups.

Referring to the narratives circulating in the public domain and court pleas that claim Twisha suffered from mental instability, anxiety, or substance abuse issues, the family said they are deeply disturbed by what they perceive as a systematic attempt to divert attention away from the actual investigation by allegedly targeting the reputation and dignity of the deceased, who is no longer alive to defend herself.

Invoking constitutional protections to defend her memory, the family stated that ''under Indian constitutional jurisprudence flowing from Article 21 of the Constitution of India, even the dignity of a deceased person deserves protection. No individual, institution, or accused person has any moral or legal right to conduct a posthumous character trial of a deceased young woman to weaken the case or influence judicial perception''.

They demanded that any medical or psychiatric claims introduced by the defence must be independently verified through legally admissible records and rigorous expert scrutiny, rather than selective media leaks or rumours.

The family's statement comes in the wake of the Bhopal sessions court rejecting the bail application of Twisha's lawyer-husband, Samarth Singh, and Madhya Pradesh police also announcing Rs 10,000 for information leading to his arrest.

The family expressed grave concern over persistent rumours circulating within Bhopal's court premises that Twisha's mother-in-law, retired ADJ Giribala Singh, who secured bail after the incident, is allegedly using her influence within the local judiciary to pave the way for relief in higher judicial forums.

''Justice must not only be done but must also appear to be done to maintain public confidence in the rule of law,'' the family said in the statement.

Amid fears of evidence tampering, the family has submitted a list of demands to the probe team for the immediate preservation of primary digital and physical evidence, which includes securing all CCTV logs from the marital premises, surrounding access roads, and the emergency entry points of AIIMS Bhopal.

They also requested the authorities to preserve original Call Detail Records (CDRs), tower location logs, and mobile tower dump data belonging to the accused persons, their drivers, servants, and close acquaintances, to uncover any secondary or alternate communication devices.

The family further challenged the accused to back their claims of innocence by cooperating with independent, premier medical institutions and questioned why there has been intense hesitation and resistance regarding a second, independent post-mortem examination at AIIMS Delhi.

''When a young woman is no longer alive to speak for herself, every unanswered question deepens the pain,'' the family said, appealing to the people and constitutional authorities to treat the case not as an isolated incident, but as a crucial test of whether an ordinary family can find justice against the powerful.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing into the alleged dowry death, is currently scanning CCTV footage, call logs, and digital footprints to locate Twisha's absconding husband.

Earlier, talking to PTI Videos, Twisha's father, Navnidhi Sharma, said, ''Because the girl is dead now, they think they can say anything against her and shift the blame.''.

The accused must prove their allegations in court, he added.

Navnidhi Sharma said that publicly defaming a deceased woman is a serious offence, and is especially ''shameful'' coming from a person who held a high judicial office.

Describing his daughter as a dynamic, career-oriented, and highly educated woman, he hit back at the schizophrenia claims.

''If my daughter had been schizophrenic, then what should be said about Giribala Singh, who killed such a good daughter in her own house?''.

Twisha's mother, Rekha Sharma, denied allegations that the family was financially dependent on her, or that Giribala Singh had given nearly Rs 8 lakh to their daughter over the last five months and that Rs 5 lakh from this was transferred to their son.

''We never had any shortage of money. The only issue was that her in-laws were trying to sabotage her career,'' she alleged, slamming claims that they had pushed Twisha into the glamour industry too young and abandoned her.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)