The body of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma remained stored at minus 4 degrees Celsius at AIIMS Bhopal for over a week even though authorities said long-term preservation requires storage at around minus 80 degrees Celsius. The issue came up before a Bhopal court on Wednesday while hearing a plea filed by Twisha’s family seeking a second postmortem examination at AIIMS Delhi.
The court, while rejecting the family’s plea for a second postmortem and fresh forensic analysis, directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of Katara Hills police station to urgently identify medical institutions in Madhya Pradesh and other metropolitan cities that have ultra-low temperature preservation systems.
Twisha’s family, which hails from Noida, had sought preservation of the body and a fresh autopsy, alleging lapses in the initial investigation.
During the hearing, the Bhopal court observed that no facility equipped with ultra-low temperature preservation systems was available either at AIIMS Bhopal or elsewhere in the city.
“According to the police report, the body is currently being kept in the mortuary at AIIMS Bhopal at minus 4 degrees Celsius. As per the authorities at AIIMS Bhopal, the body needs to be preserved at minus 80 degrees Celsius, and based on information gathered from other institutions in Bhopal, no such low-temperature preservation facility is available anywhere in the city,” the court said in its order.
Earlier in the day, the police also urged the family of Twisha Sharma to take custody of her body amid concerns that it could begin decomposing.
In a letter addressed to Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma, police said the body had remained in the mortuary for several days and warned there was a “strong possibility” of decomposition if custody was not taken soon.
According to the autopsy report, Twisha’s neck bore two parallel ligature marks caused by pressure from the material allegedly used in the hanging.
The marks, each approximately 2 cm wide, were described as reddish patterned abrasions running upward on both sides of the neck above the thyroid region. Doctors also observed congestion and blood infiltration in the neck tissues.
The report concluded that the cause of death appeared to be “asphyxia as a result of ante-mortem hanging”, suggesting that Twisha was alive at the time of the hanging.
However, the mention of double ligature marks has further intensified concerns raised by Twisha’s family, which has been demanding a second postmortem examination at AIIMS Delhi, alleging inconsistencies in the investigation and possible suppression of evidence.
Speaking to India Today TV, Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said the investigation was proceeding from the angle of suicide and maintained that there was no pressure on the police.
“Twisha died by suicide. The post-mortem report mentions ante-mortem hanging. We are investigating the circumstances under which she took the step,” Kumar said.
Twisha, a resident of Noida, was found dead on May 12 at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area. Police later registered an FIR against her husband, advocate Samarth Singh, and her mother-in-law, retired judge Giribala Singh, on charges related to dowry death and harassment.
Her family has alleged lapses in the investigation and sought a second postmortem examination, claiming investigators failed to properly document material evidence allegedly linked to the hanging.
The plea, filed by Twisha’s family, further claimed that investigators failed to provide the material allegedly used in the hanging during the first postmortem examination.
Twisha’s mother-in-law Giribala Singh, however, denied the allegations of harassment.
The family also questioned the delay in registration of the FIR, which was lodged three days after her death.
A Special Investigation Team is currently probing allegations of dowry harassment, physical assault and destruction of evidence in the case. Giribala Singh has denied the allegations made by the family.
Source: India Today
