MUMBAI, Aug 19 — India’s federal investigators have charged the husband and mother-in-law of model and actor Twisha Sharma with abetment to suicide and cruelty, months after her death triggered intense scrutiny and competing claims over how she died.

Sharma, 33, was found dead at her home in Bhopal on May 12, just five months after marrying lawyer Samarth Singh, according to the BBC.

Her family alleged she had faced dowry-related harassment and was murdered. Singh and his mother, retired judge Giribala Singh, have denied wrongdoing.

In a 600-page chargesheet filed last week, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation alleged that Sharma had endured sustained mental cruelty after her marriage.

“Due to continuous mental cruelty at the hands of both the accused [Twisha’s husband and mother-in-law], she was left with no option but to end her life,” the CBI said.

Investigators alleged Singh repeatedly used derogatory language towards Sharma, while “Giribala Singh would from time to time instigate her son to commit mental cruelty on Twisha”.

The case has drawn particular attention in India because Singh’s mother is a retired judge.

Sharma’s family lawyer, Ankur Pandey, told BBC Hindi that the charges indicated investigators were currently treating the death as an alleged suicide rather than murder.

He said that because the CBI had invoked provisions relating to abetment to suicide, “it means that the investigation has considered the death to be an alleged suicide”.

Pandey said investigators had also sought permission to continue their inquiry, adding that “if new evidence emerges during the investigation, role of some more people can be investigated and, if needed, a supplementary chargesheet can be filed”.

Giribala Singh’s lawyer, Inosh George Carlo, told the BBC that investigators had found no evidence supporting earlier allegations of dowry harassment or murder.

“The investigation has found no evidence of the earlier allegations of dowry harassment and murder... We have been saying this from the beginning but the media never listened to us,” he said.

Singh later surrendered to police after they initially could not locate him, while Giribala Singh was arrested several days later. Both remain in jail, according to the BBC.

Sharma’s family has said tensions intensified after she became pregnant in April. They alleged that her husband and mother-in-law questioned the paternity of the child and forced her to undergo an abortion in early May.

Giribala Singh has denied the allegation, saying Sharma herself wanted the abortion because she did not want children.

The former judge also faced criticism after Sharma’s death for discussing her daughter-in-law’s mental health in media interviews and describing her as “liberal”. When asked what she meant, she referred to “promiscuity”.

Sharma’s father accused her of trying to tarnish his daughter’s reputation.

Sharma was crowned Miss Pune in 2012 and later appeared in advertising campaigns and a Telugu-language film. In recent years, she had worked as a marketing professional.

According to investigators, she met Singh on a dating app in February 2025 and the couple married in December, five months before her death.

The CBI’s request to continue investigating leaves open the possibility of a supplementary chargesheet if new evidence emerges.