'Take her body, it's decomposing': Cops tell Twisha Sharma's family
What's the story
The body of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, who was found hanging at her in-laws' home in Bhopal on May 12, is decomposing, police said. The body has been kept at the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary since May 13. "Twisha's body has been kept in the mortuary for a prolonged period and is highly likely to decompose," the police said in a letter to her family.
Body condition
Parents refuse to accept body
Despite the police's request, Twisha's parents have refused to accept their daughter's body until a second post-mortem is conducted. The police are concerned about the possible decomposition of the body, which is currently stored at -4 degrees Celsius. The police claim that to prevent further decomposition, the temperature should be maintained at -80 degrees Celsius, a facility not available at AIIMS Bhopal.
Abuse claims
Twisha's family alleges abuse
Twisha's father, Navnidhi Sharma, has alleged that his daughter was subjected to various forms of abuse, including physical abuse. WhatsApp chats between Twisha and her mother Rekha Sharma indicate that she felt "trapped" in an unhappy marriage and faced mental torture and dowry harassment from her in-laws. The family has demanded an independent medical opinion from a premier national institution to restore public confidence in the investigation.
Investigation progress
Postmortem report
The postmortem confirmed her cause of death as "antemortem hanging by ligature." The report detailed a double reddish patterned ligature mark around Twisha's neck. The skin under the mark was dry and hard, with signs of asphyxia including facial congestion and petechial hemorrhages. Internal examination revealed bruised patches beneath the ligature mark and Tardieu's spots in the lungs. The report also noted antemortem blunt-force injuries on her body, including abrasions and bruises on various body parts.
PM
Sharma had enlarged uterus
The autopsy report also mentioned that Twisha had an enlarged uterus with reddish-grey friable tissue, indicating retained decidual tissue after a Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) a week before her death. Blood, viscera, nail clippings, and hair samples were preserved and forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory for toxicological and DNA analysis in order to rule out intoxication and aid future investigations.
Family
Nylon belt used for hanging was not produced during examination
However, an alleged nylon belt used for hanging was not produced during examination, preventing scientific comparison with ligature marks on her neck. Navnidhi expressed deep pain and anger over discrepancies between medical reports and physical evidence. He alleged attempts to mislead the investigation and demanded a fresh postmortem examination. The family questioned how they could accept the body since the whole case seemed very suspicious.