The family of Twisha Sharma is demanding a second autopsy after a first post-mortem confirmed she died by hanging [1].
The dispute centers on whether the death was a suicide or a murder, involving allegations of dowry harassment and pressure to cremate the body quickly.
Sharma, 33 [1], was found dead on May 12, 2026 [2], at her marital home in Bhopal [3]. While police have concluded that the death was a suicide [3], her family — including her mother-in-law Giribala Singh and lawyer Ankur Pandey — has raised concerns regarding the initial findings [1].
The family's legal team has cited several red flags, including injury marks and discrepancies in CCTV timing, to argue that the first autopsy was insufficient [1]. They have approached the High Court to seek a second post-mortem and the cancellation of bail for a former judge involved in the case [1].
Meanwhile, the body remains at the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary [3]. Police have urged the family to claim the body, citing risks of decomposition [2]. Officials said that the morgue temperature is maintained at -4 °C [3], which they suggest may not be sufficient for long-term preservation.
A Bhopal court has advised the family to look for other options to preserve the body while the legal battle over the second autopsy continues [3]. The family said that a thorough investigation is necessary to ensure no evidence of foul play was overlooked during the first examination [1].
“The family is demanding a second autopsy after a first post-mortem confirmed she died by hanging.”
This case highlights the tension between forensic conclusions and family suspicions in dowry-related death investigations in India. The demand for a second autopsy suggests a lack of trust in the initial police and medical reports, while the pressure to claim the body underscores the logistical challenges of maintaining forensic evidence in high-temperature regions.
