The suspicious death of Twisha Sharma, a resident of Noida, has triggered intense protests in the State capital. On Thursday, family members and relatives staged a demonstration outside the Women’s Police Station and the Police Commissioner’s office, accusing the authorities of intentionally delaying the investigation due to the influential status of the in-laws. The grieving family has declared that they will not accept the body for final rites untill the husband, Samarth Sharma, is arrested and a formal murder case is registered under relevant sections. Twisha Sharma’s parents have levelled serious charges of murder and destruction of evidence against Samarth Sharma and his mother. The family claimed that the duo disappeared for nearly an hour after the victim was pronounced dead at the hospital. They alleged that the time was utilised to return home and tamper with the scene of the incident. Citing a distress message sent to a cousin stating “I am stuck,” the relatives further alleged that the victim was denied food, resulting in a significant weight loss of 15 kilograms during her short marriage. Twisha Sharma, an MBA graduate who previously worked for a multinational corporation, had married Bhopal-based lawyer Samarth Sharma six months ago after meeting on a dating application.

 

The victim had a notable background, having been crowned ‘Miss Pune’ in 2012 and appearing in two films. Her brother, Harshit Sharma, a Major in the Indian Army, stated that his sister had contacted him on Tuesday night to report severe mental harassment by her husband, just hours before her death was reported. In response to the allegations, the mother-in-law of the deceased, retired judge Giribala Singh, maintained that the family was watching television together until 9:30 pm on the night of the incident. She asserted that CCTV footage is available to verify their presence. According to her statement, Twisha Sharma later ended her life using an exercise band in her room. The short post-mortem report has cited the cause of death as antemortem hanging, though it also noted several minor injury marks on the body. Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar met with the protesters and assured them of a transparent and impartial inquiry led by an officer of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank. While the police continue to scrutinise the digital evidence and call records, the family has initiated a digital campaign titled ‘Justice for Twisha’ to seek public intervention.