Accused Samarth Singh was produced before the Court of Judicial Magistrate Anudita Gupta in Bhopal on 23 May in the alleged suicide case of his wife Twisha Sharma, and was remanded to seven days of police custody. The hearing drew a packed courtroom and intense public scrutiny, with all eyes fixed on the accused's demeanour throughout the proceedings.

Samarth's conduct under the microscope

Despite the gravity of the allegations against him, Samarth Singh appeared visibly calm and composed during the hearing. He interacted normally with his lawyers and showed no outward signs of nervousness or distress. Notably, unlike his appearance before the Jabalpur District Court on Friday — where he had concealed his face with a mask and cap while surrendering — he made no attempt to hide his face before the Bhopal court.

What Twisha's brother said

Major Harshit Sharma, brother of the deceased Twisha Sharma, was present in the courtroom at close range and later alleged that the accused displayed no remorse over his wife's death. 'I have not spoken to Samarth, nor did I express any desire to do so. However, there was absolutely no remorse visible on his face regarding his wife's death. There was no sign of grief over his wife's demise on his face when he appeared in court,' Major Harshit said.

He added that the seven-day custody period would be critical. 'The court has remanded Samarth to custody for seven days; consequently, this coming week will be extremely crucial. We hope that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) takes over the case as soon as possible and initiates its investigation,' he said.

Family demands CBI probe, alleges police delay

Reiterating the family's longstanding demand for a CBI inquiry, Major Harshit alleged that police had been slow to act. 'Our only hope lies with the CBI, which is why we have been repeatedly demanding their intervention. Had the police done their job properly, it would not have taken this long to arrest Samarth,' he said. Though both Samarth Singh and Major Harshit Sharma were present inside the same courtroom, there was reportedly neither conversation nor eye contact between them.

Who is Samarth Singh

The courtroom was crowded largely with lawyers, many of whom knew Samarth Singh personally — he had practised as a criminal defence lawyer at the Bhopal District Court. His standing in legal circles was further underscored by the background of his mother, Giribala Singh, who served in the same judicial institution in roles ranging from Magistrate to Principal District Judge before retiring in February 2023. Giribala Singh has also been named a co-accused in the case.

Background and arrest

Samarth Singh was arrested on Friday after surrendering before a court in Jabalpur, nearly 10 days after he allegedly went missing following Twisha Sharma's death — a case that has triggered widespread public attention across Madhya Pradesh. The case is being closely watched, with the family's CBI demand adding a layer of political and institutional pressure on investigators. How the police utilise the seven-day remand window is expected to determine the direction of the probe.