Twisha dowry death case: Husband surrenders; HC orders 2nd autopsy

ON a daylight of gustavus franklin swift developments in the demise of former 32-year-old model-actor, Twisha Sharma, Bhopal law on fri took custody of her husband, Samarth Singh, on the run for over a week, and the Madhya Pradesh high court ordered a second autopsy by an AIIMS Delhi team as requested by her family.The actor was found dead at her home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12 with her family alleging that she was harassed and abused over dowry.Singh, the absconding lawyer-husband, withdrew his anticipatory bail application filed in the high court earlier in the day, and appeared at the Jabalpur district court in the evening to surrender. A team of Bhopal police took him in their custody and left for Bhopal, his lawyers said. Singh had attempted to surrender before the district court of Jabalpur but the court didn’t allow him.The HC judge AK Singh said, “The correct procedure in such type of cases is that accused if he apprehends torture at the hands of police then he may surrender before the trial court or otherwise before the investigating Officer. If he surrenders before the investigating officer then he may formally arrest as per prevailing law.”“Since police has a right to interrogate the accused for 24 hours and within 24 hours police shall produce the accused before the competent court and either seek judicial custody of the accused or the police custody,” the judge said, adding: “In the reverse case if accused surrenders before the trial Court or the remand Court when the charge sheet is not filed then the Court is bound to send a copy of the surrender application to the concerned SHO who shall produce the case diary and make appropriate application in this regard.”Meanwhile, the Bar Council of India has suspended the bar licence of Samarth Singh, prohibiting him from legal practice with immediate effect.HC orders second autopsyThe Madhya Pradesh high court on Friday directed that a second autopsy be conducted at AIIMS Bhopal in the presence of expert doctors from Delhi.Justice Singh, mentioned above, passed the order while hearing a petition filed by the woman’s family earlier in the day.The counsel of the accused Mrigendra Singh submitted that they have no objection if body of the deceased is subjected to the second post-mortem. “...only worry that names of the doctors of AIIMS, Bhopal who are very good will be tarnished,” said the counsel.Judge Singh said, “It is also of the view that, by directing a second post-mortem, neither this court nor the petitioner has directly or indirectly imputed any wrongful motive or cast any doubt upon the earlier post-mortem report or on anyone but death of deceased has taken place within six months of marriage, therefore, second post-mortem should be conducted to clear all doubts from any quarter.”During the hearing, the court requested the director, AIIMS, New Delhi, to constitute a team of experts who could arrive at the earliest via a special flight arranged by the state government to conduct the post-mortem examination.Advocate Anurag Shrivastava, representing the victim’s family, said, “We filed an urgent writ petition at 10:30 AM, and the court directed AIIMS Bhopal to conduct the second post-mortem at the earliest. Expert doctors will travel from Delhi to carry out the examination. On our second application challenging the interim bail granted to the retired judge (Samarth Singh’s mother) the court issued a notice, and the matter will be heard on Monday.”Earlier, the Madhya Pradesh government recommended a CBI inquiry into the case. The home department issued a notification transferring the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.The case, registered at Katara Hills Police Station, involves charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.“The state government granted its consent for the investigation into the relevant offenses, the abetment of such offenses, and/or any conspiracy related to the case,” reads the order issued two days after the victim’s family met chief minister Mohan Yadav.The victim’s father welcomed the court’s order and the CBI probe, saying, “We want videography of the post-mortem and a clear report so that justice can be done for my daughter. Her husband was a legal advisor to the Madhya Pradesh government, and under such circumstances, how can one expect an impartial investigation? He and his mother are using their influence to suppress the matter.”