THEsensational Twisha Sharma case in Bhopal has garnered widespread national attention, prompting a federal investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following intense protests by the victim’s family. Her tragic demise has once again brought the sheer brutality of dowry demands to the forefront in the State capital. Official police records indicate that her death is not an isolated occurrence, but rather part of an alarmingly consistent and horrifying pattern of newly-wed women being targeted for financial extortion by their marital homes. Official database reports from the Bhopal Police reveal a grim systemic reality, showing that 36 women, including Twisha Sharma, have lost their lives in severe dowry-related cases over the past four years. Between 2023 and the initial months of 2026, the city’s police stations registered a staggering 1,953 criminal cases concerning dowry harassment and extreme domestic cruelty. In the majority of these reports, newly married women endured prolonged physical and psychological abuse from their spouses and in-laws, ultimately leaving them with no recourse but suicide, while several other incidents have been registered as outright homicide. Young bride dies in Bairagarh

 

The ruthless nature of dowry extortion was tragically illustrated on February 16, 2025, in the Bairagarh area, where the body of twenty-six-year-old Varsha Rajak was found hanging inside her matrimonial home. A rigorous police investigation subsequently exposed that Rajak had been systematically tortured by her husband, Sunil, and her in-laws since the inception of her marriage over persistent demands for a motorcycle, gold jewellery, and significant cash payments. Following the tragic end to her brief two-year marriage, police registered a formal case of dowry death against the husband and his relatives. Railway constable booked over murder Another highly publicised tragedy emerged in November 2024, involving Kritika Mandrai, who was married to Sushil, an active constable in the Railway Protection Force. Merely nine months after their wedding, Mandrai died under highly suspicious circumstances on November 15. During the ensuing inquiry, the Bajaria police gathered substantial evidence demonstrating that Constable Sushil and his family members had subjected her to relentless dowry harassment from day one.

 

Based on these findings, authorities formally charged the husband and six of his family members with dowry death. Forensics expose cover-up in Itkhedi One of the most shocking betrayals occurred on December 17, 2025, in Chandapur village, operating under the jurisdiction of the Itkhedi police station. Twenty-four-year-old Sharda Ahirwar was brutally murdered by her husband, Dinesh, after her family failed to satisfy his persistent dowry demands. Investigators noted that the accused initially staged the crime scene to resemble an accidental death in an attempt to mislead the police. However, using advanced forensic and technical evidence, authorities dismantled his alibi and formally prosecuted Dinesh for murder and dowry-related homicide. Senior officers spearhead local inquiries Bhopal’s police administration maintains that sensitive cases involving the suspicious deaths of women are treated with the highest priority.

 

To bypass local-level gaps and ensure a watertight prosecution, investigations into these crimes are assigned directly to gazetted officers at the level of Assistant Commissioner of Police. Due to the highly sensitive nature of these cases, investigators execute meticulous cross-examinations of witness testimonies and align them closely with forensic reports to ensure maximum convictions and provide justice to the grieving families. Yearly death toll rises steadily The year-on-year rise in dowry-related fatalities in Bhopal underlines a worsening societal crisis. According to police data, the city registered seven dowry deaths in 2023, which more than doubled to fifteen fatalities in 2024. The grim trend persisted in 2025 with eleven newlyweds losing their lives, while the first five months of 2026 have already recorded three new cases.