An Indian bride dies. Rival claims of murder and suicide set off media frenzy

Her family said she met Samarth, a lawyer based in Bhopal, through a dating app in 2024 and the two married in December 2025. Photographs from their wedding day show the happy bride and groom posing for pictures.

But the Sharmas say tensions started soon after the marriage. They allege that despite giving dowry at the time of marriage, they were constantly taunted by the Singhs that the wedding was not according to their "standards" – an accusation Giribala Singh has rejected. (Giving and receiving dowry is illegal in India, but it is still widely practised.)

The couple's relationship has come under scrutiny after Twisha's family released what they said were recent Whatsapp messages from her where she alleged torture by the Singhs. "My life is a living hell," one message read.

The biggest point of friction between Twisha and her in-laws, the Sharmas say, came in April after she became pregnant. They allege that "her husband and mother-in-law questioned her character and accused her of carrying someone else's baby" and "forced her to undergo an abortion in the first week of May".

Giribala Singh has denied the allegations – she says that it was Twisha who insisted on the abortion saying that she did not want children.

Twisha's father Navnidhi Sharma told BBC Hindi that the last time they spoke to their daughter was on 12 May, the night of her death, when she called him on WhatsApp at around 21:41 local time [16:11 GMT].

"Twisha was talking to her mother when suddenly the line dropped," he said, adding that their calls went unanswered for the next 20 minutes, after which Giribala Singh picked up the phone and said, "she is no more".

The Sharmas, who first reported their daughter's death to the police, have questioned why Twisha's in-laws did not inform the police. "A retired judge surely must know what the protocol in such cases is," Navnidhi Sharma asked. Giribala Singh said the delay was because they prioritised rushing Twisha to hospital.

The former judge, who's named as a suspect in the police complaint, has also drawn criticism for addressing a press conference and giving long media interviews where she's discussed Twisha's mental health and called her "liberal" - when asked to explain the term by an interviewer, she spoke of "promiscuity". Her comments led to a huge outrage with many calling for cancellation of her bail and demanding her arrest.

Twisha's father said it was an attempt to tarnish his daughter's name.

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The family have also questioned the police investigation and alleged lapses in the way the inquiry is being done. On Wednesday, Bhopal's police commissioner Sanjay Kumar acknowledged to the BBC that there had been lapses, but he ruled out murder and said, "based on the post-mortem report and our investigation so far, this is a case of suicide".

Twisha's father has questioned both the post-mortem report and the police investigation, insisting that his daughter was murdered and alleged that "influential people are trying to derail the investigation".

Police commissioner Kumar's comments, however, are unlikely to be the last word in the case. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said the case will now be investigated by the federal police - the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) - and assured the Sharma family that the government would "fully assist" them.

Navnidhi Sharma says he will continue to fight until justice is served to his daughter.

"My daughter was wronged in her lifetime, and now every effort is being made to ensure that she does not get justice even after her death. We will not rest until we get her justice."