The Twisha Sharma death case took another turn on Wednesday after Madhya Pradesh Police asked the family to take custody of her body from AIIMS Bhopal, warning that prolonged storage could lead to decomposition and affect forensic evidence.
The development came hours before a magistrate court in Bhopal was scheduled to hear the family’s plea seeking a second post-mortem examination outside Madhya Pradesh, preferably at AIIMS Delhi. The family has maintained that an independent medical opinion is necessary to ensure transparency in the investigation.
In a letter issued by Katara Hills Police Station to Twisha’s father Navnidhi Sharma, police said AIIMS Bhopal had informed authorities that the body would require preservation at minus 80 degrees Celsius to prevent decomposition, but such a facility was not available at the hospital.
According to the letter, the body is currently being preserved at minus 4 degrees Celsius in the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary. The communication further noted that standard mortuary freezers can only slow decomposition over time and cannot completely stop it.
The letter stated that the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at AIIMS Bhopal had informed police on May 18 that “in order to prevent decomposition, the body ought to be stored at a temperature of minus 80 degrees Celsius”, a facility unavailable at the institute.
Police also told the family that they had “no objection” to a second post-mortem examination being conducted.
“You are hereby informed that the police have no objection to a re-postmortem being conducted. However, given that the deceased’s body has been stored in the mortuary for an extended period, you are humbly requested to make arrangements to take custody of the deceased’s body,” the letter read.
Family seeks second autopsy at AIIMS Delhi
Twisha Sharma, wife of Samarth Singh, allegedly died by suicide at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12. Her post-mortem examination was conducted at AIIMS Bhopal the following day, and the body has remained at the hospital mortuary since then.
The family moved an application before Magistrate Anudita Gupta on Tuesday seeking a second autopsy outside the state. The matter is likely to be heard later in the day.
In a fresh statement issued on Wednesday, the family said an “independent medical opinion from a premier national institution will help restore public confidence in the investigation.”
“We filed the application only to ensure no doubt remains about the actual cause and circumstances of her death,” Twisha’s father Navnidhi Sharma said.
The family also expressed concern that delays could compromise crucial forensic findings.
“We fear that unnecessary procedural delay may irreversibly affect crucial forensic findings and prejudice the cause of justice,” Sharma stated.
Family seeks preservation of digital evidence
Apart from seeking a second post-mortem, the family has also demanded preservation of digital and electronic evidence linked to the case.
In its plea, the family sought forensic securing of Call Detail Records, tower location data, internet usage logs, WhatsApp metadata and other electronic records linked to more than 40 mobile numbers.
The statement also objected to remarks allegedly made publicly against the deceased and questioned whether influential persons were attempting to shape the narrative around the case.
The family further said that if co-accused Giribala Singh, who has received interim bail, believes she is innocent, she should support the demand for a second post-mortem examination at AIIMS Delhi.
Police said investigation under provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act is continuing.