'Twisha Sharma's last rites to be held after medical procedures': What we know so far

BHOPAL: Twisha Sharma's cousin Ashish Sharma on Sunday said her last rites would be performed after the ongoing medical formalities are completed, while expressing hope that the Supreme Court’s intervention would ensure justice in the case.Twisha’s cousin, Ashish Sharma, welcomed the apex court’s decision to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and said the family had faced difficulties in securing a second post-mortem examination.“We are grateful for this verdict by the Supreme Court that will restore faith in justice. We had to struggle a lot for the second post-mortem. At least the family will now be able to carry out the last rites, which will be done soon after the medical procedures,” Ashish Sharma said.His statement came as a four-member team of senior doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) reached Bhopal to conduct a second autopsy, following directions from the Madhya Pradesh High Court.Twisha’s uncle, Lokesh Sharma, also expressed confidence in the judicial process after the Supreme Court stepped in.“A common man can just have faith since the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance. We are hopeful that we will get justice. We will do the last rites before the reports,” he said.Meanwhile, Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma, arrived at the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary for body identification and documentation related to the second post-mortem.“I am going to sign the protocol. Thank you, everyone, for the support,” he said.Speaking to reporters, Twisha’s father said, “The team listened to our grievances and assured us that the post-mortem will be conducted in a non-biased manner... We also gave our consent and they started their work... We are hopeful that the team will work out good findings...”On the last rites of the victim, he said, “This is a matter of concern for all of us. The family will decide after the PM-2 because we don't have an idea about how long the procedure will last...”Earlier in the day, Navnidhi Sharma said the family believed the fresh autopsy would help uncover the truth.“The team from AIIMS have arrived, and we are confident they will bring us justice. The discrepancies will come forth. We were called for the body recognition protocol. Thanks to everyone, including the Chief Minister, who took cognisance and gave a recommendation of the CBI,” he said.Advocate Ankur Pandey, appearing for the family, termed the Supreme Court’s suo motu cognisance a major development. He said the move recognised the family’s concerns regarding alleged “institutional bias” and “procedural lapses” in the handling of the 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’. The matter is expected to be heard on Monday by a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant.In a parallel development, a local court in Bhopal remanded Twisha’s husband and the main accused, Samarth Singh, to seven days of police custody from May 23 to May 29 for further questioning. Singh was arrested in Jabalpur on May 22 after reportedly remaining absconding.Twisha Sharma, originally from Noida, had married Bhopal resident Samarth Singh in December 2025. After her death on May 12, her family accused her husband and his relatives of mental harassment and dowry-related torture, leading to widespread outrage and demands for a fair investigation.The Madhya Pradesh government has already recommended a CBI probe into the case, while the family continues to seek an impartial investigation.