NEED TO KNOW
Twisha Sharma’s husband and mother-in-law have been charged in connection to her death
Sharma married Samarth Singh in December 2025 after they met on a dating app
The model was found dead in her home in India on May 12
Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old model, was found dead just months after her wedding. Now, her husband and mother-in-law have been charged in connection with her death.
Sharma’s husband Samarth Singh and mother-in-law Giribala Singh have been charged with abetment to suicide and cruelty, according to a document from The Central Bureau of Investigation reviewed by the BBC.
Sharma was discovered dead outside her home on May 12 in Bhopal, India, per Jam Press.
She married Samarth in December 2025 after they met on a dating app.
Samarth Singh and Twisha Sharma.
Credit: Jam Press
The CBI said its investigation found that Samarth, a lawyer, subjected Sharma to mental cruelty and used derogatory language toward her. Giribala, a retired judge, would occasionally “instigate her son to commit mental cruelty on Twisha,” the document stated, per the BBC.
“Due to continuous mental cruelty at the hands of both the accused, she was left with no option but to end her life,” the CBI said.
Samarth and Giribala have denied the allegations. They are currently being held in jail, per the BBC.
Giribala has alleged that Twisha was struggling with drug addiction.
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The former beauty queen’s family claim that she was tortured by the suspects over dowry demands, reported the BBC. The family also said there was conflict between the three after Sharma became pregnant in April.
Samarth and Giribala allegedly accused the model of cheating and “forced her to undergo an abortion” in May, per the BBC.
Giribala has denied the claim, stating that Sharma wanted the abortion.
A second autopsy was requested after Sharma’s family alleged foul play, per the Independent. The autopsy found that Sharma died by suicide and there were no injuries to suggest assault or struggle.
Twisha was the winner of the Miss Pune pageant in 2012. She also appeared in an Indian Telugu-language movie.
Dowry is banned in India but is still widely practiced. The country recorded 5,737 deaths related to dowries in 2024, per the Independent.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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