Bhopal police ask Twisha Sharma’s family to take custody of body amid decomposition concerns, autopsy reveals she died due to hanging

BHOPAL: Amid growing demands for a second post-mortem in the alleged dowry death case of Twisha Sharma, Bhopal Police requested the victim’s family to take custody of her body, citing concerns over possible decomposition due to the absence of ultra-low temperature preservation facilities at AIIMS Bhopal.

Station House Officer (SHO) of Katara Hills police station wrote a letter addressing Twisha Sharma’s father Navnidhi Sharma on Wednesday, stating that the post-mortem examination was conducted on May 13 in connection with case registered under sections related to dowry harassment and the Dowry Prohibition Act and currently, preserved at minus 4 degrees Celsius in the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary.

“AIIMS authorities reportedly informed police on the night of May 18 that to prevent decomposition, the body should ideally be preserved at minus 80 degrees Celsius, a facility unavailable at the hospital. You had submitted a letter before the Police Commissioner’s Office and Katara Hills police station seeking preservation of the body and a second post-mortem examination,” the letter read.

Twisha Sharma death case | The police have issued a letter to the family regarding the collection of the body; citing concerns over the potential decomposition of the remains at AIIMS Bhopal, the police have instructed that the body be retrieved as soon as possible.

Police have… pic.twitter.com/3lKaawtqct

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2026

It further added, “We would like to inform you that the police have no objection to conducting a second post-mortem. But since the body has been lying in the mortuary for a prolonged period, there is a strong possibility of decomposition. Therefore, we humbly request to take custody of the body.”

Nonetheless, the victim’s family approached the court seeking permission for conducting the second post-mortem of the body as they have doubts in the initial PM report.

Earlier, the victim’s father said, “Our primary demand is that a second post-mortem examination (PM-2) must be conducted as soon as possible… Because these individuals want the body to decompose and the process to be delayed, hoping that we will become disheartened and leave this place. This investigation should be transferred to a state outside of Madhya Pradesh… There must be an independent investigation conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of India (CJI)…”.

ब्राह्मणवादी पितृसत्ता पर बहस छिड़ी हुई है

ट्विशा शर्मा मौत के मामले में उसके पति समर्थ सिंह के खिलाफ़ पुलिस ने लुकआउट नोटिस जारी किया है और उसे पकड़ने के लिए पुलिस निकल चुकी है,

एक सीसीटीवी वीडियो निकलकर आ रहा है जिसमें ट्विशा शर्मा पहले सीढ़ी चढ़कर ऊपर जाती है, फ़िर पति… pic.twitter.com/uTueq5qX9w

— Ravi Parmar (@raviparmarIN) May 19, 2026

Twisha Sharma (33), a resident of Noida, married Bhopal resident Samarth Singh in December 2025. She died on May 12 and her family has alleged mental torture and dowry harassment by her in-laws. Police registered a case against her husband and mother-in-law, Giribala Singh, who is a retired judge, and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.

The post-mortem report of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, who died in Bhopal earlier this month, has concluded that the cause of death was “antemortem hanging by ligature,” while also documenting multiple simple injuries on different parts of her body caused by blunt force.

The autopsy, conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at AIIMS Bhopal, stated that Twisha was found hanging from a gymnastic ring rope on the terrace of her home at around 10:26 pm on May 12. She was declared dead shortly after midnight on May 13.

According to the report, a double reddish patterned ligature mark was found running obliquely around the upper third of the neck. The skin beneath the mark was described as dry, hard and “parchmentized,” while the ligature mark was incomplete at the back of the neck.

The report also recorded several signs consistent with asphyxia, including facial congestion, bluish discolouration of the ears and fingernails, and petechial haemorrhages in the right eye.

Apart from the ligature injuries, the autopsy documented multiple antemortem injuries on other parts of the body. These included abrasions on the left side of the neck, bruises on the left upper arm, left forearm, right wrist and right ring finger, along with a 2 cm x 2 cm bruise beneath the scalp in the left frontoparietal region.

During internal examination, doctors found two small bruised patches in tissues beneath the ligature mark. The lungs showed “Tardieu’s spots,” a finding commonly associated with asphyxiation. Congestion was also noted in the brain, lungs and stomach lining.

The report further noted that the uterus was enlarged and contained reddish-grey friable tissue, suggesting retained decidual tissue. It mentioned a history of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) performed one week before her death. The medical board concluded that while hanging was the cause of death, the other injuries appeared to be simple antemortem injuries caused by blunt force.

The report added that blood, viscera, nail clippings and hair samples had been preserved and sent for toxicology and DNA examination at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to rule out intoxication and assist further investigation.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajnish Kashyap Kaul said, “Regarding the lookout notice, necessary correspondence has been initiated with the DCP office, Bhopal Commissionerate, and the Regional Passport Office. Our SIT, along with local teams, is actively engaged. We are gathering intelligence through both technical means and human sources. The DCP has also announced a reward”.

Police earlier announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Samarth Singh, the prime accused in the case. The case took another turn after Twisha’s mother-in-law and retired judge Giribala Singh alleged that the deceased’s behaviour changed significantly after learning about her pregnancy and claimed that Twisha insisted on terminating it.

#WATCH | Bhopal, MP | Twisha Sharma death case | Mother-in-law of the victim and retired judge Giribala Singh says, “It’s a profound loss for us because, whatever the circumstances, she was a part of our family… She went for psychiatric counselling also, and medicines were… pic.twitter.com/0dWduamFGI

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2026

“On the 17th, the moment she received confirmation of her pregnancy, her entire demeanour changed; she declared that she did not want to keep this child,” Singh said, adding that Twisha later underwent MTP. She further claimed that her son Samarth Singh was emotionally distressed after the termination and asserted that the case against the family lacked merit.

However, Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma, rejected the allegations and accused Giribala Singh of publicly maligning his daughter’s character while out on anticipatory bail. “This woman is currently out on anticipatory bail, and she is violating the conditions of that bail. She is violating the law by coming before the media and, in this manner, publicly maligning the character of the deceased,” Sharma alleged.

He also demanded an immediate second post-mortem examination and sought an independent probe monitored by the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of India.

Twisha Sharma, a resident of Noida, married Bhopal resident Samarth Singh in December 2025. Her family has alleged mental torture and dowry harassment by her in-laws. Police have registered a case and constituted an SIT to investigate the matter. (ANI)(ANI)