Delhi AIIMS four-member team conducts second post-mortem at Bhopal AIIMS; family says funeral likely this evening

A four-member team from Delhi AIIMS began a second post-mortem on the body of actress Twisha Sharma at Bhopal AIIMS on Sunday, officials said, as tight security remained in and around the hospital morgue. The development comes amid competing claims from the actress’s natal and marital families and fresh legal and investigative moves, including a direction for possible CBI involvement.

Second post-mortem underway
According to hospital sources, the AIIMS team reached Bhopal late Saturday night and started the judicial procedure early Sunday morning. Police and hospital security personnel were deployed around the mortuary and adjacent corridors to manage access. The entire process is to be video-recorded, as ordered by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Family statement on funeral
Major Harshit, Twisha’s brother, told reporters that the family plans to perform the last rites at Bhadbhada crematorium at 5 pm today, subject to completion of post-mortem formalities. He declined to comment on whether the actress’s husband or in‑laws would attend. The family has also sought swift transfer of the case to the CBI, a demand vocalised by Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma.

Court and probe developments
The case drew national attention after the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance and listed the matter for hearing before a bench led by the Chief Justice on Monday. Earlier, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered a second post-mortem, directing that it be led by the AIIMS director and that the police keep the body under safe custody until the procedure is complete.

On Saturday, Bhopal district court sent Twisha’s husband, identified as Samarth Singh, to seven days’ police remand after his production before the magistrate. The court also ordered seizure of his passport. Police said a look-out notice had been issued earlier amid concerns of possible flight from the country.

Sequence of events
Initial police records show Twisha, a 28-year-old actor and daughter-in-law of retired judge Giribala Singh, returned to her residence in the Katara Hills area of Bhopal on the night of May 12. CCTV from the parlour showed her arriving around 6 pm. Samarth told investigators that the couple went for a stroll and later watched television; he said Twisha spoke on the phone with family and then went to another room. He said he later fell asleep and woke to find her missing.

Samarth and family accounts
In statements to police, Samarth said the couple’s relationship had been “normal” after marriage in December 2025 but that Twisha’s behaviour had changed after pregnancy was confirmed on April 17. He said she had travelled to Ajmer and Delhi briefly in April and returned to Bhopal on April 30. Samarth claimed Twisha had left a mark of distress in calls with her mother on the night in question and that his mother discovered Twisha hanging from an elastic exercise band on the terrace.

Police said CPR was administered and Twisha was taken to AIIMS Bhopal, where doctors declared her dead. Investigators, however, maintain that statements are being cross-checked and that Samarth’s account contains inconsistencies. “We are probing the sequence of events on May 12 and will examine all forensic leads,” an officer familiar with the probe said.

Legal fallout
The Bar Council of India on May 22 suspended Samarth’s right to practice; the BCI chairman confirmed the order. In the state High Court, the in‑laws’ request to hand over the body to the husband on religious grounds was rejected. The court has issued notices to multiple parties, including retired judge Giribala Singh, whose anticipatory bail the father has challenged.

State and central involvement
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said the state government had written to the Centre for CBI assistance; officials told reporters the state has conveyed willingness for central investigation. The father’s delegation met the chief minister on May 20 seeking an independent probe; the CM reportedly assured cooperation.

What happens next
Police said Samarth will be questioned further, including on the spot where the incident occurred and on movements from the day in question up to his arrest. Investigators plan to recreate timelines and collate CCTV and call data records. The second post-mortem report — expected later Sunday — could shape the next legal steps, including the family’s decision on where final rites will be held.

Hearings are scheduled in both the High Court and local courts on Monday and Tuesday: the High Court will continue its oversight while a Bhopal district court will hear an application to cancel Giribala Singh’s anticipatory bail.