The last rites of Twisha Sharma were performed in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal on Sunday, hours after a second autopsy was conducted on the body by an expert panel of AIIMS New Delhi, 12 days after she was found dead at her marital home here. 

Dozens of ex-servicemen, family and relatives and locals turned up to pay tributes at Bhopal’s Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat with her brother Major Harshit Sharma performing the rituals on Sunday evening even as her mother appeared inconsolable. 

While her husband Samarth Singh, a lawyer, is currently in police custody in connection with a dowry death and harassment case, her mother-in-law Giribala Singh, a retired judge and an accused in the case, was not seen at the cremation ceremony. Mr. Singh was nabbed on May 22 after his attempts to surrender before a Jabalpur court failed. The police are currently interrogating him. 

Twisha Sharma’s father Navnidhi Sharma expressed gratitude at the Supreme Court registering a suo motu case amid allegations by her family that her in-laws tampered with evidence and that the investigation suffered from procedural irregularities.

‘Case will set example’

In a heartfelt tribute, Mr. Navnidhi Sharma said, “We don’t know how we will live without her. As kids grow up, they take care of their parents. They become like parents and parents become like children. She used to take care of like a mother does for her children.”

“I thank everyone for their support and I believe she will get justice. This case will set an example for everyone and people’s faith in the judicial process will be restored. I thank the Supreme Court for taking suo motu cognisance of the matter,” he said at a prayer gathering.  

Meanwhile, the special investigation team (SIT) of the Bhopal Police, probing the case, along with the four-member panel of AIIMS New Delhi and forensic experts visited Ms. Singh’s house to inspect the spot of Twisha Sharma’s death and gather evidence. 

This is the first official inspection of the crime scene, which comes a day after a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi took note of the case.

The police are yet to question Ms. Singh even though the FIR in the case was filed early morning of May 15. 

Twisha Sharma’s family has consistently alleged procedural lapses, institutional bias, and tampering with evidence, while also accusing Ms. Singh of using her influence and talking to more than 40 senior government and judicial officers to weaken the probe.

The victim family’s lawyers have also questioned the continued occupying of the house, where Twisha Sharma died, by her in-laws while raising suspicions of destruction of evidence as well as planting of contraband substances in the victim’s belongings. Following her death, Ms. Singh has publicly alleged that Twisha Sharma had a drug addiction. 

The family also had raised doubts over the first post-mortem conducted by doctors of AIIMS Bhopal where Ms. Singh’s sister is a senior doctor, and stuck to their demand of a second impartial examination which was allowed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 22. 

Major Harshit Sharma said the identification of the body turned out to be difficult as it had been in the mortuary for over 10 days. 

“It was slightly difficult, considering it was being done after 10 days. There were also certain changes in the body. Also, since a first postmortem had already been conducted on the body, it became a little more difficult. However, it was identified by matching the birthmarks and other features,” he said.

The report of the second post-mortem, which was conducted after the AIIMS New Delhi team arrived in Bhopal, is awaited. 

Seizure of items

Speaking to The Hindu, Vikas Sehwal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bhopal zone 2, said items were being seized based on the information being obtained by questioning Mr. Singh.

When asked when Ms. Singh would be questioned, he said the investigating team was engaged in the post-mortem and funeral proceedings along with inspecting the crime scene.

“So far, statements of several people involved with the case, including the victim’s family members and doctors, have been recorded. A team is also going to Jabalpur for the hearing in the High Court on Monday. We will question her very soon,” he said.

The High Court had earlier asked Ms. Singh, currently out on anticipatory bail, to appear before it on May 25.