A five-member medical board of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has concluded that model-turned-actor Twisha Sharma died by suicide and found no significant injuries on her body suggesting physical assault or a struggle. The board submitted its final forensic opinion to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a sealed cover following a second post-mortem ordered by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The 11-page report, submitted on July 10, provides a crucial medical assessment in a case that has attracted considerable attention following allegations by Sharma’s family of dowry harassment and foul play.
According to the medical board’s findings, Sharma’s death was caused by hanging and the available forensic evidence was consistent with suicide.
The panel did not find medically significant injuries indicating that she had been physically assaulted or had struggled with another person immediately before her death.
The conclusion assumes significance because questions had earlier been raised about injury marks and the circumstances in which Sharma was found dead at her matrimonial home.
The AIIMS examination was conducted after her family questioned aspects of the initial investigation and sought an independent second post-mortem.
One of the important issues examined by the medical board concerned the ligature material allegedly used in the hanging.
Questions had previously emerged over a gymnastics belt with a metal ring and whether it could have produced the injuries found on Sharma’s neck.
The AIIMS board examined the disputed material as part of its forensic assessment. Laboratory and histopathological examination established the presence of Sharma’s skin tissue on the belt, providing forensic evidence connecting the material to the hanging.
The board considered the ligature findings along with the post-mortem examination and other medical evidence before arriving at its final opinion.
Sharma was found dead at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on the night of May 12.
Her death quickly developed into a high-profile case after her family alleged that she had been subjected to harassment following her marriage.
Sharma had married lawyer Samarth Singh in December 2025. Her family subsequently levelled allegations of dowry-related harassment and cruelty against her husband and members of his family.
Her mother-in-law, Giribala Singh, is a retired district and sessions judge.
The allegations surrounding the death and concerns raised by Sharma’s family about the initial investigation eventually resulted in the case being transferred to the CBI.
Sharma’s family had approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a second post-mortem, expressing reservations about the first examination conducted in Bhopal.
The High Court subsequently directed that a specialised medical team from AIIMS conduct another examination.
The five-member board carried out the second post-mortem and undertook additional forensic and laboratory examinations before submitting its findings.
Its final opinion now provides the CBI with an important piece of medical evidence as the agency continues examining the circumstances surrounding Sharma’s death.
The medical conclusion that Sharma died by suicide does not by itself settle the wider investigation into the circumstances preceding her death.
The CBI is separately examining allegations of dowry harassment, cruelty and abetment of suicide, including whether Sharma was subjected to circumstances that contributed to her taking the extreme step.
The agency has been investigating the conduct of her husband and other family members while examining documentary, electronic and other evidence.
The AIIMS report, however, addresses a crucial forensic question by concluding that there was no significant medical evidence suggesting physical assault or struggle before Sharma’s death.
With the medical board’s findings now before the CBI, the investigation is expected to focus increasingly on the events and alleged harassment preceding her death and whether criminal liability arises from them.