Former model and actor Twisha Sharma, discovered hanging at her matrimonial residence in Bhopal nearly two weeks earlier, was cremated on Sunday evening. This followed a second postmortem conducted by a team of specialists from AIIMS Delhi, as directed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Her body was transported from AIIMS Bhopal to Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat for the final rites once the examination concluded around 3:40 pm.
Distressed scenes occurred outside the mortuary while relatives awaited the release of the remains. Several family members wept as physicians and kin completed necessary procedures inside.
Her brother Harshit Sharma stated that the family had chosen to hold the cremation the same day, prior to the start of the procession.
Before the rites, her father urged Bhopal residents, social activists, women and young people to attend the procession in support of the family. He described the loss of a daughter who had started married life filled with hopes, noting the unanswered questions about justice and safety for women.
The second autopsy was performed by a four-member panel from AIIMS Delhi, formed after the High Court order on May 22. The specialists reached Bhopal on Saturday night and began work at AIIMS Bhopal on Sunday morning. The examination started after identification by the brother and sister-in-law, finishing at 3:40 pm.
The family had sought a new examination, citing issues they believed were insufficiently addressed in the initial postmortem. They submitted concerns about possible blunt-force injuries, incomplete dissection of wounds, missing radiological checks on the neck, and the need to match ligature marks with neck injuries. They also requested toxicology tests and assessment of whether facial, eye and lung findings aligned with hanging or other causes.
Twisha Sharma, aged 33, was found at her home in Katara Hills on May 12. Relatives alleged dowry-related harassment and abetment to suicide by the in-laws, who maintained she struggled with substance issues. Police filed an FIR against husband Samarth Singh, a lawyer, and mother-in-law Giribala Singh, a retired district judge, under dowry harassment provisions. Samarth Singh was detained in Jabalpur on Friday after ten days at large and later remanded to seven days in police custody.
