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🇲🇾 Malaysia /Crime & Justice

Mysterious death of former Indian beauty queen draws fresh scrutiny

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • The CBI charged Twisha Sharma’s husband and mother-in-law with abetting suicide and cruelty after the 33-year-old model and actor was found dead in Bhopal on May 12.
  • Twisha’s family alleged mistreatment linked to dowry demands and said she had been murdered, while her mother-in-law denied the accusations and said Twisha had mental-health problems and died by suicide.
  • The CBI has sought permission for further investigation, leaving open the possibility of additional charges if new evidence emerges.

The death of Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old model and actor found unconscious at her home in Bhopal, remains under intense scrutiny after Indian authorities charged her husband and mother-in-law.

Twisha died on May 12, five months after marrying lawyer Samarth Singh. The Central Bureau of Investigation charged Singh and his mother, Giribala Singh, with abetting suicide and cruelty. Both deny the allegations.

The case has drawn particular attention because Giribala previously served as a judge. Twisha’s parents and siblings have said she suffered ill-treatment from her husband and mother-in-law over dowry demands. They have also claimed that her death was not a suicide but a killing. Giribala called the allegations baseless and said Twisha had mental-health problems and took her own life.

Because of the continuous mental cruelty carried out by both accused, Twisha had no option other than ending her life.

· Central Bureau of InvestigationThe CBI described the alleged treatment of Twisha in its charge sheet.

Samarth initially could not be located before surrendering to police. Giribala was arrested several days later. In its 600-page charge sheet, the CBI said continuous mental cruelty by both accused left Twisha with no option other than ending her life. It also alleged that Giribala repeatedly incited her son to subject Twisha to mental cruelty.

Twisha won the Miss Pune title in 2012 and later appeared in advertising campaigns and a Telugu-language film. She had also entered marketing work with private companies. According to the charge sheet, she met Samarth through a dating app in February 2025 and married him in December that year. Her family lawyer, Ankur Pandey, told BBC Hindi that the charge of abetting suicide indicated the investigation believed Twisha had died by suicide. The CBI has requested permission to investigate further, saying new evidence could lead to inquiries into other people and additional charges.

The allegations against me are baseless.

· Giribala SinghTwisha’s mother-in-law denied the accusations against her.
About this summary

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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