Samarth Singh, husband of Twisha Sharma, being produced at a district court in Bhopal after his arrest. Photo: PTI
AIIMS Delhi medical board to meet Twisha Sharma’s family before second autopsy
Four-member team constituted on MP High Court’s directions will conduct a fresh postmortem as Twisha Sharma’s family raises concerns over alleged gaps in the first autopsy
A four-member medical board from AIIMS Delhi will interact with the family of former model-turned-actor Twisha Sharma before conducting a second postmortem examination in Bhopal, police said on Sunday. The family has requested the board to adopt a multidisciplinary forensic, pathological and radiological approach, and independently examine concerns they claimed were not adequately addressed during the first postmortem conducted in Bhopal.
Court orders second autopsy
Acting on a May 22 order from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, AIIMS Delhi constituted a four-member team of senior doctors to conduct a second autopsy. The medical team reached Bhopal on Saturday night and is likely to perform the autopsy at AIIMS Bhopal on Sunday.
Also Read: SC takes suo motu cognisance of Twisha Sharma case; to hear matter on May 25
"The doctors will first speak to the family members before conducting the post-mortem examination," a senior police official said.
A senior AIIMS Bhopal doctor, requesting anonymity, told PTI the autopsy would be conducted strictly in accordance with the high court's directions. He declined to disclose the timing of the examination.
Father flags autopsy concerns
On Saturday, Twisha's father, Navnidhi Sharma, submitted a detailed representation along with a copy of the high court order to the medical board. Among the concerns raised were alleged blunt force injuries on Twisha's left arm and forearm, lack of detailed dissection to determine the depth and age of injuries, and absence of radiological examination of the neck and cervical structures.
The family also flagged that no correlation had been drawn between the alleged ligature material and injuries recorded on the neck, and that no toxicological evaluation of preserved viscera samples had been carried out. They further sought examination of whether findings relating to the face, eyes and lungs were consistent with hanging, strangulation, suffocation or any other possible cause of death.
Height discrepancy noted
The family pointed to an alleged discrepancy in Twisha's recorded height, stating the autopsy report mentioned it as 166 cm, whereas her actual height was around 172–173 cm.
They requested X-ray and CT scan examination of the neck, hyoid bone, thyroid cartilage and cervical spine, if medically feasible, and sought detailed videography and preservation of all relevant forensic evidence.
Also Read: Twisha Sharma’s family seeks 2nd post-mortem, cites flaws in AIIMS report
"The family fully respects the expertise, independence and scientific objectivity of the Expert Medical Board and places complete faith in its professional assessment," the representation said.
Husband in police remand
Meanwhile, police were questioning Twisha's husband, Samarth Singh, who was arrested in Jabalpur on Friday after remaining absconding for 10 days. A Bhopal court on Saturday sent him to a seven-day police remand.
Police have registered an FIR against Samarth Singh, who is a lawyer, and his mother and former district judge Giribala Singh on charges of harassment for dowry.