The investigation into the death of former beauty queen Twisha Sharma saw a dramatic development on Wednesday after the Madhya Pradesh government informed the High Court that injuries recorded in her post-mortem report may have been caused during a struggle before she died.

The submission has intensified scrutiny over the case, which was initially treated as a suicide, and has now raised fresh questions about whether foul play could have been involved. The observations may also deepen the legal troubles facing Twisha’s husband Samarth Singh and mother-in-law Giribala Singh.

Appearing for the state government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the post-mortem findings showed injuries on Twisha’s wrist, elbow and head. He argued that the nature of these injuries suggested they were unlikely to have occurred while the body was being brought down, indicating the possibility of a confrontation before death.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court was hearing petitions challenging the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh. According to the state government, Twisha had allegedly faced continuous harassment linked to dowry demands from both her husband and mother-in-law.

The prosecution claimed the accused repeatedly humiliated Twisha over what they considered insufficient wedding expenses borne by her family.

During the hearing, the state government also accused Giribala Singh of failing to cooperate with investigators despite receiving notices on May 13 and 14. The prosecution argued that police teams could not locate her at home even while attempting to serve summons.

The court was further told that Singh’s conduct after Twisha’s death raised concerns. Referring to her media appearances, Mehta argued that she was actively shaping public narratives instead of assisting the probe.

“She had time to address the media but not to join the investigation,” the state government argued in court.

The prosecution also alleged that efforts were being made to portray Singh as progressive and liberal, while WhatsApp conversations submitted before the court allegedly suggested strained family relations and emotional distress faced by Twisha.

Referring to chats exchanged between Twisha and her mother, the Solicitor General said the deceased had repeatedly been advised to tolerate the situation and maintain peace within the family despite alleged harassment.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Twisha’s family, argued that anticipatory bail had been granted prematurely before investigators could properly examine the seriousness of the allegations.

He also cited WhatsApp conversations in which Twisha allegedly expressed emotional trauma and claimed her in-laws had questioned the paternity of her unborn child. According to the family’s counsel, Twisha had undergone an abortion and appeared emotionally shattered in her final messages.

One of the messages presented before the court allegedly read: “They are extremely cruel… I feel suffocated here.”

In another major development, the Central Bureau of Investigation took Samarth Singh into custody on Wednesday after formally assuming control of the investigation earlier this week. The federal agency had re-registered the FIR originally filed by Madhya Pradesh Police and named both Samarth and Giribala Singh as accused.

The state government supported the CBI’s plea seeking custody of the accused, arguing that bail conditions required full cooperation with investigators and prohibited any attempt to influence evidence or witnesses.

Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old former Miss Pune, was found dead at her matrimonial residence in Bhopal on May 12. Her family has accused her husband and in-laws of dowry harassment, mental cruelty and domestic abuse.

The case gained further attention after the High Court ordered a second post-mortem examination by a team from AIIMS Delhi following concerns raised by Twisha’s parents regarding possible lapses in the initial investigation.

The High Court has now reserved its order on the plea seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh — a decision that could significantly impact the future direction of the probe.