India’s Central Bureau of Investigation has charged the husband and mother-in-law of 33-year-old model and actor Twisha Sharma with abetment to suicide and cruelty following her death at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on May 12.
Sharma, who had married lawyer Samarth Singh five months earlier, was found dead amid allegations from her family that she had faced harassment and mistreatment after marriage. Singh and his mother, retired judge Giribala Singh, have denied the allegations.
In its chargesheet, the CBI alleged that Sharma was subjected to repeated mental cruelty by her husband and that Giribala Singh encouraged her son’s conduct. Investigators said the alleged mistreatment ultimately drove Sharma to take her own life.
Sharma’s family had earlier accused her husband and mother-in-law of dowry harassment and alleged that she was murdered. Their lawyer said the CBI’s decision to invoke abetment-to-suicide provisions indicated that investigators were treating the death as an alleged suicide. The agency has sought permission to continue its investigation and could file a supplementary chargesheet if further evidence emerges.
A lawyer for Giribala Singh said investigators had found no evidence supporting the earlier allegations of murder and dowry harassment.
Sharma’s family has also alleged that tensions intensified after she became pregnant, claiming her husband and mother-in-law questioned the paternity of the child and pressured her to terminate the pregnancy. Giribala Singh has denied the allegation, maintaining that Sharma chose to have the abortion.
Sharma, who won the Miss Pune title in 2012, had worked as a model, actor and marketing professional. She had appeared in advertising campaigns and a Telugu-language film.