Following ten days on the run, Samarth Singh, the husband of Twisha Sharma, surfaced amidst chaotic scenes at a court in Jabalpur on Friday to surrender, before being taken into custody by the police. The high-profile death case has sparked widespread outrage and demands for a central investigation. As Singh was mobbed by journalists and camerapersons inside the courtroom, reporters repeatedly questioned him over his actions.
The surrender followed an earlier announcement by Singh's lawyer, but the day was marked by immense confusion on the ground. The accused reportedly moved from courtroom to courtroom whilst police waited outside to make the arrest. He was eventually detained by the Jabalpur Police and is being transferred to Bhopal.
Adding a dramatic twist to the proceedings, advocate Anurag Srivastav, representing Twisha’s family, claimed he accidentally discovered Singh hiding in a darkened courtroom whilst attending to an unrelated matter. Srivastav alleged that he opened a door to find Singh sitting comfortably in the dark with the lights switched off, wearing a mask. With the judge absent from the dais, Srivastav questioned the three court clerks present about why the accused was being kept there, but received no answer. According to the lawyer, Singh fled the moment he was spotted, and his legal team pushed Srivastav away.
The incident has raised serious questions about why the accused was moving between courtrooms in Jabalpur rather than appearing before the designated trial court in Bhopal. Speaking outside, Srivastav noted that the High Court had explicitly directed Singh to surrender either to the trial court in Bhopal or to the investigating officer at Katara Hills Police Station. He argued that there was no legal provision for a surrender before the district court in Jabalpur, questioning whether the accused was receiving undue protection as the son of a retired judge.
Reacting to the developments, Twisha’s father alleged that the court premises had descended into intimidation and chaos, claiming that their family lawyer had been assaulted during the scuffle. He criticised the proceedings as a mockery of the judiciary, maintaining that Singh should only have surrendered before the proper trial court.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court clarified that standard procedure required the accused to surrender to the trial court or the investigating officer, after which the police could legally detain and question him for up to 24 hours before a formal court appearance. While allowing the withdrawal of Singh’s anticipatory bail plea, the court granted him the liberty to surrender to the trial court to seek regular bail.
The case stems from the death of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, originally from Noida, who was found dead at her marital home in Bhopal on May 12. Her family has alleged dowry harassment and abetment to suicide, while the Singh family has claimed she struggled with drug addiction. Although an initial post-mortem report concluded she had taken her own life, her family suspects foul play and has refused to accept the findings.
The High Court has agreed to a second autopsy following urgent appeals from the family's counsel, who stressed that time was running out. However, the legal counsel for Twisha’s mother-in-law, Giribala Singh, firmly rejected such a request. They claimed that no further test would be necessary since the first test was done by experts from AIIMS, and hence, the suggestion was an affront to the entire community of doctors.
The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta praised the utter professionalism and objectivity of AIIMS doctors but admitted that another expert view could be taken if the victim’s family felt any crucial point was missed out. Meanwhile, Singh's counsel urged against any further delays to the funeral, citing concerns over the preservation of the body, which is currently stored at -4 degrees Celsius at the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary. The court observed that longer preservation would require a -80 degrees Celsius facility, which is unavailable in the city.
These fast-moving legal developments occurred just hours after the Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh government formally recommended handing the entire inquiry over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. An official notification issued by Home Department Secretary Krishnaveni Deshavatu confirmed that the CBI's brief will explicitly cover the primary offence, alongside any potential abetment or criminal conspiracy, with case files being transferred immediately to the central agency.
Also read: Twisha Sharma’s absconding husband ready to surrender
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