India's top anti-crime agency has arrested the mother-in-law of Twisha Sharma, a model and former beauty pageant winner found dead in her marital home last month.
Sharma, 33, was discovered dead on May 12 in her home in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, just five months after marrying lawyer Samarth Singh. Her family alleges she was murdered over dowry demands and tortured by Singh and his mother, retired judge Giribala Singh. Both have denied the claims, suggesting Sharma took her own life due to mental health issues.
The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Giribala Singh on Thursday after the Madhya Pradesh High Court canceled her anticipatory bail. The court ruled that a lower trial court had ignored key evidence. Samarth Singh remains in police custody after reportedly fleeing following the death.
Sharma's death has reignited national attention on dowry-related violence, a crime that claims thousands of women's lives annually despite being outlawed since 1961.