Will ask for CBI probe into Twisha case, says MP CM

BHOPAL: MP CM Mohan Yadav assured the family of Noida woman Twisha Sharma Wednesday that his govt would seek a CBI probe into the allegedly suspicious circumstances of her death, hours after a Bhopal court dismissed their plea for a second autopsy at AIIMS Delhi.

Judicial magistrate Anudita Gupta said there were no major omissions or defects in the first autopsy report that warranted a re-examination. The autopsy was conducted at AIIMS Bhopal on May 12, the day Twisha allegedly died by suicide in her marital home in Bhopal’s upscale Katara Hills. Twisha’s kin accuses her absconding lawyer husband Samarth Singh, son of former district judge Giribala Singh, and in-laws of foul play.

Citing a Madras HC verdict, judicial magistrate Gupta said the court's “conscience must be satisfied” that a second postmortem was needed to arrive at the truth.

Take steps to preserve Twisha’s body: Court
Minor infractions of procedure will not make the court order a repostmortem,” judicial magistrate Anudita Gupta said. The court also noted that police had nowhere questioned the legality of the AIIMS Bhopal postmortem, and that nothing on record indicated any collusive or suspicious relationship between the accused and the medical team that conducted it.

The court directed authorities to take all possible steps to preserve Twisha’s body. According to the police report, the body is currently stored in the AIIMS Bhopal mortuary at -4 degrees Celsius while the recommended level is -80 degrees. No facility in Bhopal has such a freezer, the court was informed. Judicial magistrate Gupta then directed the SHO of Katara Hills police station to immediately obtain information from medical institutions across the state on whether any such facility was available and report back without delay.

Twisha's father Navnidhi Sharma, brother Major Harshit Sharma and Major General Shyam Shrivastava (retd) of the Wardi Social Welfare Foundation met the CM and said they were satisfied with the interaction. The National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance of the case and sought a report from the MP chief secretary and DGP within seven days. Bhopal police commissioner Sanjay Kumar raised the reward for information leading to Samarth’s arrest from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000.

He said police had found evidence suggesting harassment of Twisha by her husband. Kumar denied allegations of delay in registering the FIR. Earlier in the day, more than 50 retired personnel of the armed and paramilitary forces took out a motorcycle rally, demanding justice for Twisha and transfer of the investigation outside MP.