The family of the 33-year-old former Miss Pune, Twisha Sharma staged a protest outside the residence of Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav on Monday after they levelled allegations of dowry harassment against her in-laws and her husband. Sharma was found hanging at her marital home on May 12, just six months after her wedding under mysterious circumstances.
The woman's family have now refused to perform her last rites and demanded a fresh post-mortem examination at the All India Institute of Medical Science. Her body has been at the mortuary for the past six days.
The initial autopsy report of the deceased showed that, apart from ligature maks on her neck there were also other simple injuries on her body.
Her last message was to a friend on Instragram. In the texts she advised her friend not to get married saying that she was trapped after her marraige. “I am trapped, bro. Baas tu mat phasna (Just, don't get trapped yourself). Can’t talk much. I’ll call when the time is right,” Twisha wrote to Minakshi. Her friend replied, "I am worried about you, Tuktuk. I love you. I love you so much. I am with you.”
Twisha married Samarth on December 2025 after the two met on a dating app in 2024.
According to Twisha’s family, she called her father at 10 pm on the night of the incident and spoke about the harassment she was facing. Navnidhi Sharma, said that he spoke with his daughter for nearly half an hour before her death.
The post-mortem report conducted at AIIMS Bhopal stated that the death was due to "antemortem hanging by ligature" and noted "multiple antemortem injuries on other parts of the body."
Twisha had also undergone a medical termination of pregnancy just a week before her death, an NDTV report said.
Her brother, Major Sharma, alleged that she was subject to severe mental harassment. "My sister had expressed her desire to continue with the pregnancy and bear the child. However, she was subjected to severe pressure and coercion by her husband and in-laws to terminate the pregnancy. Her character was repeatedly questioned, and allegations were made that the child was illegitimate. Under sustained mental pressure and family coercion, the pregnancy was medically terminated."
Her father had also demanded that legal proceedings in the case be moved outside Madhya Pradesh. Twisha reportedly wanted to leave Bhopal and return to Noida, relatives told police.
Officials are investigating the allegations of dowry harassment, physical assault and attempts to destroy evidence after the woman’s death.
There are allegations of the police failing to secure the crime scene and allowing free access to the accused to the flat where the body was found. The scarf or noose whihc the victim used to was also not sent for an examination to determine the casue of the ligature marks on the neck of the deceased.
