'Why Defame Someone Who's Dead?' Twisha Sharma's Relative On In-Laws' Remarks

The claims of Twisha Sharma's in-laws escalating days after her death -- claiming that she was an addict who refused to a have a child and took a unilateral decision for abortion -- has left her close relatives fuming. Today, Rashi Sharma, Twisha's sister-in-law, strongly condemned the comments, saying it was "appalling" behaviour.

Twisha's mother-in-law, retired judge Giribala Singh, had claimed that she was a "schizophrenic" and a "troubled personality" who needed constant monitoring. 

She has accused the 31-year-old of drug use and living with a psychotic disorder. Her family has been accused of pushing her into the glamour industry and disowning her.

"It is okay to accuse. It is okay to defame the entire family... It is okay to do that for the living... but it is really shocking and appalling to do so for someone who's dead," Rashi Sharma said in an exclusive interview to NDTV.

"Why is a dead person is being defamed right, left, and centre? If this is the condition after she has passed away, this was the condition while she was alive... The defamatory remarks, the constant howling at her and constantly putting her down through words and actions was definitely true," she added.  

Read: "I'm Trapped. Tu Mat Phasna": Twisha Sharma's Chat With Friend Before Death

Pointing out that Twisha is not here to "tell her own truth", her cousin Ashish Sharma said she was a very positive personality who always stood up for justice and truth. "She was the first person to reach out to anyone. Not just me, many others are astonished by these allegations," he added.

Twisha's family allege that she had faced harassment due to dowry demands and her death is also related to it. Her husband Samarth Singh has been missing since she died on May 12.

The last messages Twisha sent minutes before she was said to have died by suicide, point to anxiety and emotional distress. 

Photo Credit: IANS

She spoke of being "trapped" in the marriage, and advised a friend not to make the same mistake. She had asked her mother to take her back home and her parents had got her tickets and were expected to come and pick her up.

Twisha Sharma's father Navnidhi Sharma and cousin Ashish Sharma have told NDTV that they have been running from pillar to post in Bhopal to get justice. 

The postmortem report says she had died by hanging but multiple bruises have been found on her body, raising questions. The family has been seeking a second postmortem, but in Delhi.