The death of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma has sparked national outrage, mounting legal battles, and allegations of systemic institutional bias. Found dead under unnatural circumstances at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on May 12, 2026 —just six months after her marriage to advocate Samarth Singh—the case has quickly escalated beyond a tragic domestic incident into a high-profile investigation, and now a suo motu case before the Supreme Court.Because the mother of the prime suspect, Twisha’s husband Samarth Singh, Giribala Singh, is a retired district and sessions judge, Twisha’s family has fiercely alleged that local police botched early evidence collection, tampered with CCTV footage, and protected the accused.The ensuing public outcry and political pressure have forced swift, extraordinary interventions: the case has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a second autopsy has been ordered via a medical team flown in from AIIMS Delhi, and the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of potential institutional bias.Compiled exclusively from reporting by The Indian Express, the following timeline maps out the critical events, police actions, and legal developments surrounding this unfolding Twisha Sharma case.Twisha found dead: Hailing from Noida and an MBA graduate, Twisha Sharma marries advocate Samarth Singh in Delhi after meeting through a matrimonial website in 2024. Samarth is the son of Giribala Singh, a retired district and sessions judge in Bhopal. At the time of her marriage, Twisha is working as a communication and onboarding manager at the Delhi office of a corporate firm. 33-year-old Sharma is found dead at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on the night of May 12.Protests at Jantar Mantar: Twisha’s family, friends, and former colleagues gather at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to stage a protest, demanding justice and a transparent probe.May 13 Bhopal Police ‘access’ the residence’s CCTV DVR system via a technician: The system, which features eight cameras, allegedly suffers from a “technical defect” displaying a timestamp roughly 2 days and 2 hours behind the actual time, says Giribala in Bhopal court.Story continues below this adPostmortem Questions: A postmortem is conducted at AIIMS Bhopal, concluding the cause of death to be “asphyxia due to antemortem hanging by ligature.” However, controversy erupts because police do not produce the nylon gym rope allegedly used in the incident during the autopsy, instead presenting it a day later. Bhopal court dismisses plea of Twisha’s family seeking second postmortem.FIR and Absconding Accused: Police register an FIR at the Katara Hills Police Station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for matrimonial cruelty, domestic violence, and dowry death. Following the registration, Twisha’s husband, Samarth Singh goes into hiding. Police initially announced a Rs 10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest, which is later escalated to Rs 30,000. Conversely, his mother, retired judge Giribala Singh, secures anticipatory bail.Mid-May 2026: The case turns into an acrimonious legal battle with a flurry of digital leaks, including WhatsApp chats, Call Detail Records (CDRs), and CCTV footage on social media. Twisha’s family accuses Giribala Singh of utilising her influence to compromise the investigation and leaking selective, doctored footage. Meanwhile, the family moves the High Court to urgently preserve CDRs and AIIMS Bhopal’s footage.May 19: A Bhopal sessions court officially rejects Samarth Singh’s plea for anticipatory bail, citing that the unnatural death took place within six months of marriage.Story continues below this adSamarth’s Defense: Samarth approaches the Madhya Pradesh High Court to challenge the trial court’s decision. His petition claims the prosecution’s case is built on “imagination and presumptions.” He argues against the dowry allegations, stating that he and his mother had transferred over Rs 7 lakh to Twisha Sharma’s account, and alleges that the family’s submitted WhatsApp chats were edited. He further alleges that Twisha Sharma suffered from drug addiction.May 21 Madhya Pradesh Home Department transfers probe to CBI: The Madhya Pradesh Home Department officially transfers the investigation into Twisha’s death to the CBI. The transfer comes amidst mounting pressure regarding local police lapses and tampering of evidence. Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar states that while initial findings point to suicide, a departmental inquiry will look into the initial procedural lapses by local police officers. The state government also initiates an inquiry against Giribala.State asks to cancel anticipatory bail to Giribala: The Madhya Pradesh government tells High Court to cancel the relief granted to her while accusing her of tampering with evidence, leaking selected CCTV footage to social media, obstructing the investigation and deliberately allowing the “crime scene”May 22 Samarth surrenders: Twisha’s husband arrives at Jabalpur High Court to surrender, after absconding for days in a dowry death case filed against him and his mother. High Court orders second autopsy by a team of forensic experts constituted by AIIMS Delhi, observing that because the death had occurred within six months of marriage, “all doubts from any quarter” should be removed. The second autopsy is scheduled to be performed at AIIMS Bhopal by the specialised forensic team from AIIMS Delhi, under full video recording, to be submitted in a sealed envelope.Story continues below this adHusband taken into custody, licence suspended: Bar Council of India’s chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra, said that Samarth’s license had been suspended, given the “seriousness of the case”.May 23: Supreme Court takes cognisance of Twisha Sharma’s death and schedules a hearing on Monday.May 25: Supreme Court to hear “IN RE: ALLEGED INSTITUTIONAL BIAS AND PROCEDURAL DISCREPANCIES IN THE UNNATURAL DEATH OF A YOUNG GIRL AT HER MATRIMONIAL HOME”.