A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reached the residence of retired judge Giribala Singh in the Katara Hills locality of Bhopal on Tuesday to begin its investigation into the death of her daughter-in-law, Twisha Sharma (33).
The CBI team had arrived in Bhopal from New Delhi on Monday evening to take charge of the probe in the high-profile case.
A few days ago, following a demand by Twisha’s parents, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav agreed to hand over the case to the CBI.
After visiting Giribala Singh’s residence in the morning, the CBI team proceeded to the Army Cantonment Kurukshetra Mess in the Shahjehanabad area of old Bhopal to meet Twisha’s family members.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday formally took over the probe into the suspicious death of former Miss Pune Twisha Sharma, who was allegedly found hanging on the terrace of her in-laws’ house in the Katara Hills locality of Bhopal on the night of 12 May.
The central investigative agency has sent a Special Crime Unit to Bhopal to assume charge of the investigation and collect the necessary documents and evidence.
The CBI has re-registered the FIR in the case, naming Twisha’s husband, lawyer Samarth Singh, and his mother, Giribala Singh, as accused, in accordance with procedure.
After taking over the investigation from the state police, the CBI invoked Sections 80(2) (punishment for dowry death), 85 (husband or his relatives subjecting a woman to cruelty), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act — the same charges earlier invoked by the state police.
The Bhopal police had registered the FIR on 14 May, two days after Twisha’s death.
Twisha’s parents have accused her in-laws of dowry harassment and of “murdering” her.
On the other hand, the Singh family has claimed that Twisha was addicted to drugs, suffered from behavioural issues due to withdrawal symptoms, and died by suicide.
Samarth Singh is currently in seven-day police remand, as ordered by a Bhopal court on 23 May.
Giribala Singh had secured anticipatory bail from a Bhopal court a few days ago.
Twisha Sharma’s last rites were finally performed in Bhopal on the evening of 24 May, 12 days after her death, following a second post mortem conducted earlier that day by a team of four doctors from AIIMS New Delhi.