The father of Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old woman found dead at her in-laws’ residence in Bhopal on May 12, has formally requested her body be transferred to AIIMS-Delhi for an independent autopsy. The demand comes amid localized protests over alleged procedural biases and a police manhunt for Sharma’s absconding husband.
Navnidhi Sharma explicitly denied claims that his daughter consumed drugs, stating instead that his son-in-law is a “major drug addict” and demanding a thorough narcotics investigation into his conduct.
A primary point of contention in the ongoing investigation involves the rapid granting of anticipatory bail to Sharma’s mother-in-law on May 15, the same day an arrest was widely anticipated. Navnidhi Sharma criticized the legal grounds for the bail, characterizing the swift judicial relief as a “dangerous precedent” and a “black law” in severe dowry death cases, particularly noting that the mother-in-law is a retired judge.
The local court’s application of the anticipatory bail laws has fueled the family’s public accusations of an institutional cover-up and improper handling of the victim’s remains by local authorities, according to official statements from Navnidhi Sharma regarding the ongoing dispute and his demand for central medical intervention.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Kashyap, who is leading the newly formed Special Investigation Team (SIT), confirmed on May 18 that a case of dowry death and harassment has been officially registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The couple had met on a dating app in 2024 and married in December 2025.
The SIT’s scope encompasses the initial death, alleged physical assault, and deliberate attempts to destroy evidence at the crime scene. Law enforcement officials have deployed multiple tracking teams, integrated new technical protocols, and announced a financial reward for information leading to the capture of the husband. His anticipatory bail hearing is scheduled for today.