Twisha Sharma's husband taken into custody by Jabalpur Police amid high drama

After 10 days on the run, Samarth Singh, the husband of Twisha Sharma, surfaced dramatically at a court in Jabalpur to surrender on Friday before being taken into custody by police in the high-profile death case that has triggered outrage and demands for a CBI probe. “Aap criminal hain (Are you a criminal),” a reporter repeatedly asked as Samarth was mobbed by journalists and camerapersons inside courtroom

Hours earlier, Samarth’s lawyer had said his client would surrender in court. However, there was confusion on the ground as the accused moved from courtroom to courtroom while police waited outside to arrest him. He was finally taken into custody by the Jabalpur Police and is now being taken to Bhopal.

In a dramatic courtroom twist, advocate Anurag Srivastav, representing Twisha’s family, claimed he accidentally stumbled upon Samarth inside a dark courtroom while appearing in the same court for a different matter. According to Srivastav, he opened the courtroom door and as sitting comfortably in the dark, with all the lights off, wearing a mask.

"The judge was not on the dais. There were three clerks present there. I asked them in what capacity they had kept him there. They had no answer to my question. As soon as Samar Singh saw me, he ran away. His lawyers pushed me away...I have no idea whether the police came here or not.", Twisha's lawyer said.

The revelation added to the chaos and confusion surrounding the surrender proceedings, with questions being raised over why the accused was allegedly moving between courtrooms instead of appearing before the designated trial court in Bhopal.

Speaking outside court, advocate Anurag Srivastav said the High Court had clearly directed that Samarth Singh should surrender either before the trial court in Bhopal or before the investigating officer handling the case.

He alleged that there was no legal provision for surrender before the district court in Jabalpur and questioned why “a retired judge’s son” was allegedly being protected in such a manner. Srivastav said he first approached the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, where he was told that no surrender application had been moved there.

OUR LAWYER IS ASSAULTED: TWISHA'S FATHER

Twisha’s father, speaking exclusively to India Today after reports of the surrender emerged, alleged that there was chaos and intimidation inside the court premises. “Our lawyer was assaulted. This is extremely shameful. Samarth could only surrender before the trial court. These people are playing games and making a mockery of the judiciary,” he said.

WHAT HC HAD SAID ON SAMARTH'S SURRENDER

The Madhya Pradesh High Court said that the correct procedure in such cases was for the accused to either surrender before the trial court or before the investigating officer at Katara Hills Police Station in Bhopal. The court clarified that if Samarth Singh surrendered before the investigating officer, police could formally arrest and interrogate him as per law for up to 24 hours before producing him before a competent court.

The High Court also said that if the accused surrendered before the trial court, the court concerned would have to inform the SHO and follow due legal procedure regarding custody and bail proceedings.

While allowing withdrawal of Samarth Singh’s anticipatory bail plea, the court granted him liberty to surrender before the trial court and seek regular bail.

Twisha, a 33-year-old from Noida, was found dead at her marital home in Bhopal on May 12. Her family accused her in-laws of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide, while the Singh family claimed she was addicted to drugs.

While the post-mortem report concluded that Twisha died by suicide, her family has refused to accept it, alleging foul play.

COURT ALLOWS SECOND AUTOPSY

The court also agreed to a second autopsy of Twisha's body after the counsel for the petitioner – Twisha's father – urged the court to prioritise the matter, saying “time is ticking fast."

However, appearing for Giribala Singh, Twisha’s mother-in-law, her lawyer opposed the demand for a second autopsy, arguing that the postmortem had already been conducted by doctors at AIIMS and questioning the need for another examination.

“It is an insult to the medical fraternity. It reflects their own incompetence and shows they do not trust their own doctors,” the counsel argued before the court.

'BODY MUST NOT DECOMPOSE'

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing in the matter, defended the integrity of the doctors who conducted the autopsy but said a second opinion could still be sought if the victim’s family felt something had been overlooked.

“The impartiality of the doctors is exemplary. But if the victim’s family feels something is missing, a second opinion can be sought,” he submitted.

Meanwhile, opposing any delay in the final rites, Singh’s counsel also argued that the body should not be allowed to decompose.

“She was the daughter-in-law of our family. It is our duty to perform her last rites,” the lawyer said.

The court observed that the body was currently kept in the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary at -4 degrees Celsius, but required -80 degrees Celsius for longer preservation, a facility unavailable anywhere in the city.

MP GOVERNMENT RECOMMENDS CBI PROBE

The development comes hours after the Madhya Pradesh government recommended handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation and gave its consent to transfer the investigation to the premier central agency.

"The authorisation explicitly covers the investigation of the primary offence, any abetment to the crime, and any related criminal conspiracy," the official notification issued by the Home Department of the Mohan Yadav government read.

Signed by Home Department Secretary Krishnaveni Deshavatu, the notification has been forwarded to top central and state authorities to initiate the immediate transition of the case files.