Twisha death probe deepens
A Bhopal court on Wednesday declined permission for a second post-mortem in the mysterious death case of actress and former Miss Pune contestant Twisha Sharma, the daughter-in-law of a retired judge, though it directed police to preserve her body as the investigation continues to intensify.
Advocate Ankur Pandey, representing Twisha’s family, said the plea seeking a fresh autopsy and preservation of the body was only partly accepted by the court. While the request for a second post-mortem was rejected, the court instructed authorities to ensure preservation of the body for further legal proceedings if required.
Twisha, a resident of Noida, was found hanging under suspicious circumstances at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12, barely five months after her marriage to advocate Samarth Singh in December 2025. Her death has triggered widespread outrage and allegations of dowry harassment, mental torture and destruction of evidence.
The initial post-mortem was conducted at AIIMS Bhopal. However, Twisha’s family alleged serious irregularities in the procedure and demanded a fresh autopsy by an independent medical board. In their plea before the court, the family claimed that the ligature material allegedly used in the hanging was not provided during the post-mortem examination and questioned delays in registration of the FIR.
Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma, accused investigators of tampering with evidence and mishandling the probe. “Without even submitting the ligature, the post-mortem report was released. In such a system, how can a middle-class person expect justice?” he alleged.
Police have registered a case against Twisha’s husband, Samarth Singh and mother-in-law Giribala Singh under charges related to dowry death and harassment. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate allegations of dowry harassment, assault and destruction of evidence.
Meanwhile, Samarth Singh remains untraceable, prompting police to intensify search operations. Earlier, a Bhopal court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea, observing that the allegations were serious and that the death had occurred within months of marriage under suspicious circumstances. The Bhopal police Commissioner has announced a reward of Rs 30,000 on the arrest of Samarth.
According to investigators, Twisha had allegedly sent distress messages and made emotional phone calls to her family shortly before her death. Family members claimed she was under severe mental stress and had repeatedly expressed a desire to leave her matrimonial home.
After Twisha’s family met Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav seeking an impartial investigation, official sources, said the Madhya Pradesh Government is likely to write to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recommending a probe into the case. Sources also indicated that the state Government may facilitate transportation of the body to AIIMS Delhi if requested by the family.
Amid the growing controversy, Bhopal police urged the family to take custody of the body, citing concerns over decomposition. In a communication to the family, police stated that AIIMS Bhopal was currently preserving the body at minus four degrees Celsius, while doctors had advised that long-term preservation required storage at minus 80 degrees Celsius - a facility not available at the hospital.
Twisha Sharma had earlier worked as an actress and model and had appeared in Telugu films and advertisements before pursuing higher studies and later getting married. Her death has sparked fresh debate over alleged harassment faced by women in matrimonial homes and the handling of dowry-related investigations.
