On 23rd May, the Supreme Court registered a suo motu case in connection with the death of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, a resident of Noida, after concerns were raised over the investigation and the handling of evidence in the case. The matter will be heard on 25th May by a three-judge bench headed by Surya Kant, along with Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi.
The suo motu case was registered around 6:30 PM on Saturday based on media reports and other developments related to the matter.
Family raises questions over investigation
Twisha’s family has been questioning the investigation from the beginning. They said there were procedural issues in the probe and claimed that evidence was tampered with. The family also raised concerns about bias in the investigation and sought examination of phone records and other material linked to the case.
The Supreme Court’s move to take up the matter on its own shows the seriousness of the concerns surrounding the investigation and the circumstances of Twisha’s death.
What happened to Twisha Sharma?
Twisha Sharma, a former Miss Pune winner and actor-model from Noida, was found dead at her husband’s house in Katara Hills area of Bhopal on the night of 12th May.
She had married practising lawyer Samarth Singh on 25th December last year. The couple had met through a dating app around five months before their marriage.
Twisha’s family has accused her husband and in-laws of continuous mental harassment, domestic violence and financial pressure after marriage.
Action against husband and mother-in-law
Twisha’s husband, Samarth Singh, and his mother, Giribala Singh, a former District Judge, are facing charges related to dowry harassment and abetment to suicide.
Samarth Singh was taken into custody by Madhya Pradesh Police on 22nd May after remaining out of reach for several days. He later appeared before the trial court after withdrawing his anticipatory bail plea from the Madhya Pradesh High Court and was sent to seven-day police custody.
Meanwhile, the police have moved the High Court seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh.
Second autopsy and CBI probe recommendation
As Twisha’s parents demanded another post-mortem to find out the exact cause of death, the Madhya Pradesh High Court allowed their plea and ordered a second autopsy by a specialised medical team from AIIMS Delhi. The developments came as the Madhya Pradesh government recommended a CBI investigation into the case.
