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'Dowry death': Twisha Sharma's last rites carried out by family; husband in custody
Twisha's death has sparked conversations across India, after the new bride was found dead on May 12, with her family alleging she was subjected to mental torture and dowry harassment by her husband and his family
- PUBLISHED: Sun 24 May 2026, 4:11 PM
The last rites of Twisha Sharma were performed in Bhopal on Sunday, after her family had initially planned to take the mortal remains to Delhi but later decided against it, citing soaring temperatures and medical reasons.
Twisha's tragic case has sparked conversations across India, after the new bride was founded dead on May 12 in her in-laws home — five months after her wedding — with her family alleging she was subjected to mental torture and dowry harassment by her husband and his family.
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The issue has triggered widespread outrage in the nation — where giving, taking and demanding dowry has been deemed illegal — with calls for a fair and detailed probe.
VIDEO | Twisha Sharma death case: The last rites of Twisha Sharma are being performed at Bhadbhada cremation ground.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 24, 2026
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Suspicions grew after CCTV footage showed her visiting her building's gym, few moments after which her husband — a lawyer — along with two other men were seen bringing her body down.
Meanwhile, her mother-in-law, Giribala Singh — a retired judge — has called the accusations "baseless" in media interviews, while saying that Twisha was suffering from mental health issues and took her own life.
Giribala claimed her late daughter-in-law was on "schizophrenia medication" and would not "pray", "water the plants" and had terminated a pregnancy. Twisha's family denied the accusations, saying their daughter was forced to terminate the pregnancy after her husband and his mother accused her of "carrying someone else's baby".
The initial post-mortem report confirmed the abortion.
Her family, meanwhile, has released WhatsApp messages from Twisha, which detailed the alleged abuses she was suffering at the hand of her husband and in-laws, as she pleaded her parents to take her back home.
The 33-year-old MBA graduate's parents have also raised suspicion over why her in-laws did not file a police complaint after Twisha was found dead and instead took her to the hospital, delaying the complaint process.
Legal case
The Supreme Court on Saturday registered a suo motu case titled 'In Re Alleged Institutional Bias and Procedural Discrepancies in the Unnatural Death of a Young Woman at Matrimonial Home'. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant is expected to hear the matter on Monday, with 'dowry death' among the accusations.
Meanwhile, a local court in Bhopal remanded Twisha's husband and prime accused Samarth Singh to seven days of police custody from May 23 to May 29 for further interrogation. Singh was arrested in Jabalpur on May 22 after being absconding, with a wanted poster put out for his immediate arrest.
The Madhya Pradesh government has already recommended a CBI investigation into the case, while Twisha's family continues to demand an impartial probe, while claiming there were "influential people trying to derail the investigation".
Twisha Sharma, a resident of Noida, married Bhopal resident Samarth Singh in December 2025. Photos and videos from their wedding have been going viral on the internet after her demise, where Twisha was seen as a happy, smiling bride on her big day.
Second post-mortem ongoing
A second post-mortem of Sharma has taken place by a team of senior doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal, following directions from the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The first report had revealed she died of hanging, but confirmed there were injuries sustained from before the incident, according to several media outlets.
Ashish Sharma, Twisha's cousin, while speaking to the media made strong remarks about Samarth Singh's family, alleging responsibility in the case and demanding accountability.
"They (the accused family) themselves are responsible for this entire accident, so if they come forward with honesty and truth, they should clearly state their facts. That would be enough for them, because now that compensation cannot be made," he added.
Earlier, Twisha's father, Navnidhi Sharma, said the AIIMS team had assured the family of a fair and unbiased post-mortem.
"We are hopeful that the team will work out good findings because the whole point of a second post-mortem is if someone feels something is missing," he had said.
Twisha's brother, Major Harshit Sharma, also expressed hope that the process would bring transparency, saying the family was satisfied with the ongoing procedure.
Described by her family and friends as a happy, generous and ambitious person, Twisha was an aspiring model and actor, as per media outlets. She had been crowned Miss Pune in 2012 after winning a beauty pageant and had also acted in Telugu-language film. In recent years, she had also worked as a marketing professional with private firms.
With inputs from ANI
