In a fresh development in the investigation into the death of Twisha Sharma, her husband, Samarth Singh, has offered to surrender after spending ten days on the run. His legal counsel informed the Madhya Pradesh High Court of the decision on Friday, adding that Singh would consequently withdraw his application for anticipatory bail.
The 33-year-old from Noida was found dead at her marital home in Bhopal on May 12. Her family has since accused her in-laws of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide, charges the Singh family denies, claiming instead that she struggled with drug addiction.
The High Court has also agreed to a second autopsy following a request from the petitioner’s counsel, who urged the court to treat the matter with urgency as "time is ticking fast." Although the initial post-mortem report concluded that she had taken her own life, her family has rejected the findings, alleging foul play.
This demand for a second examination was strongly objected to by the legal team of Twisha’s mother-in-law, Giribala Singh. Her lawyers raised doubts about the need for the second examination when the initial one had already been conducted by experts at AIIMS. It was claimed that asking for another post-mortem implied a distrust in the abilities of professional doctors.
Attorney General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the case, clarified that the impartiality and integrity of the doctors of AIIMS were beyond question, yet the next step of opinion from another medical panel would be allowed in case the grieving relatives believed that something crucial was missed out. On the other hand, the lawyers representing Singh stressed on no delays to the last rites of the deceased as the deterioration of the body would be an issue.
These legal arguments unfolded just hours after the Madhya Pradesh government recommended handing the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, giving its formal consent for the premier central agency to take control of the inquiry.
Also read: Twisha Sharma's death case: Absconding husband applies for bail
Follow us
