Bhopal Court Rejects Second Autopsy Plea In Twisha Sharma Dowry Death Case

A local court on Wednesday rejected the plea for a second autopsy of Noida woman Twisha Sharma, who was found hanging at her marital home here following alleged harassment for dowry, but directed the police to check if the facility to preserve her body for a longer period was available in Madhya Pradesh.

Twisha's parents had moved the court seeking a second post-mortem examination of their daughter, who died on May 12, at AIIMS Delhi, alleging lapses in the investigation by police and expressing apprehension that a person related to her in-laws could have influenced the procedure conducted in Bhopal.

Judicial Magistrate First Class Anudita Gupta stated in her ruling that the court's conscience must be convinced that a second postmortem is necessary for uncovering the truth. "Minor infractions of procedure will not impel the court to order re-postmortem," she clarified.

The court stated that the first post-mortem examination was carried out at "a prestigious medical institution, AIIMS Bhopal" and that the inquiry and evidence collection process were underway.

"There is nothing on record which indicates any collusive or suspicious relationship of accused persons & the medical team of AIIMS Bhopal who conducted the post-mortem. Videography of first post-mortem was done. Case is not triable by this court," the magistrate said.

The court also said that it can not order a post-mortem examination outside its jurisdiction.

"The applicant is praying for a second post-mortem at AIIMS Delhi through the station House officer (SHO) Katara Hills, Bhopal, which is prima facie appears to be outside the jurisdiction of this court," the judge said.

The body is currently kept in the mortuary at AIIMS Bhopal at -4 °C, but it needs to be kept at -80 °C for longer preservation and "there is no facility available anywhere in Bhopal for low-temperature preservation", the court noted.

"Therefore...a letter be issued to the Station House Officer (SHO), Police Station Katara Hills, directing them to immediately obtain written information from medical institutions as to whether low-temperature preservation facility is available in other higher medical institutions of Madhya Pradesh and medical institutions of other metropolitan cities of Madhya Pradesh and to submit a written report to this Court without any delay," the judge said.

She also gave the order to hand over the case diary to the police.

Earlier in the day, police urged the woman's family to take custody of her body as it could begin decomposing.

Before deciding on her parents' request for a second postmortem examination, the court had requested the case diary on Tuesday.

Twisha's family argued in their plea that the inquiry was flawed, citing, among other things, the fact that the FIR was filed three days after Twisha was discovered dead.

The plea stated that when the initial post-mortem examination was carried out at a hospital here, the investigators failed to supply the "ligature" (the belt purportedly used in the hanging).

According to their attorney, Ankur Pandey, the parents were concerned that if the second autopsy was carried out at a city hospital, Twisha's mother-in-law, retired additional district judge Giribala Singh's sister, a surgeon based in Bhopal, may have an impact.

On the evening of May 12, Twisha Sharma was discovered dead at her marital residence in the Katara Hills neighbourhood of Bhopal. Police registered an FIR, charging her husband, advocate Samarth Singh, and her mother-in-law, Giribala Singh, with dowry death and harassment.

Police have announced a cash reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the husband, who has been absconding.