Woman found hanging at husband's house; family refuses to accept body, demands second post-mortem

BHOPAL: The family of a young woman found dead at her husband’s house has refused to accept the body, demanding a second post-mortem examination. The deceased has been identified as 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, a native of Noida. She was found hanging at her in-laws’ house in Katara Hills, Bhopal, on Tuesday night.

The first post-mortem conducted at AIIMS Bhopal confirmed that it was a death by hanging. However, the family demanded another post-mortem, pointing to injury marks found on her body. Refusing to take custody of the body or conduct the funeral, the family staged a protest in front of the Chief Minister’s residence. The body has been kept at the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary for the past five days.

Twisha got married to Bhopal-based lawyer Samarth Singh five months ago. Police said the couple met through a dating app and later got married. However, her family alleged that she faced harassment from her husband’s family after the wedding. According to the family, Twisha’s husband and mother-in-law allegedly pressured her to hand over investments worth Rs 20 lakh, including shares given by her father after the marriage. Her parents also alleged that her mother-in-law, retired judge Giribala Singh, mentally harassed her repeatedly over dowry-related issues.

The family further claimed that Twisha had recently become pregnant, but her husband and in-laws allegedly forced her to undergo an abortion against her wishes. They said she wanted to continue the pregnancy, but her in-laws insisted on the abortion, which reportedly caused her severe mental distress.

Police have registered a case against Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh under charges, including abetment of suicide and dowry harassment. Giribala Singh was granted bail by a court recently, while Samarth Singh is still absconding. Police said efforts to trace him have been intensified.