The Supreme Court on Monday said it was “pained” by the narrative suggesting that the judiciary was shielding the accused in the Twisha Sharma death case, and assured that a fair, independent and impartial CBI investigation would be conducted.
Twisha Sharma, 33, a former model-turned-actor, was found hanging at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12. Her family has accused her in-laws of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide, while the accused family claimed she suffered from drug addiction.
Police have registered an FIR against her husband, lawyer Samarth Singh, and mother-in-law, former district judge Giribala Singh, on charges related to dowry harassment.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi urged restraint in media coverage and requested both families to avoid public statements during the investigation.
“We are slightly in pain because of some of the actions. We request the media not to go for statements from the victim’s family or the other family. Let things move as per law and procedure,” the bench observed.
The court also asked the media not to reduce the grief of the family into “sound bites” and cautioned against creating narratives that could prejudice the investigation.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the apex court that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would formally take over the probe and assured that the necessary administrative steps would be completed immediately.
The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the case after media reports raised concerns over alleged institutional bias in the investigation, citing claims that a fair probe was being denied because the accused belonged to a legal and judicial background.
The matter was registered under the title: “In Re: Alleged Institutional Bias and Procedural Discrepancies in the Unnatural Death of Young Woman at Matrimonial Home.”
Appearing for the Madhya Pradesh government, Mehta submitted that Twisha’s mother-in-law had made public statements on television channels against the deceased, which intensified media coverage surrounding the case.
He added that significant progress in the investigation had been made due to public attention and remarked that the case was a reminder to parents that “it is better to have a divorced daughter than face such an unfortunate incident.”
The solicitor general also informed the court that a second autopsy on Twisha Sharma’s body was conducted on Sunday by a team from AIIMS-Bhopal following directions from the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for the accused, raised concerns regarding media reporting and claimed that the entire Section 164 CrPC statement recorded before a magistrate had been published in newspapers.
The top court urged both the victim’s and accused’s families to present their versions only before the investigating agency and refrain from making statements that could affect the ongoing probe.
“We also request the media to avoid recording statements of persons who are likely to be potential witnesses, as it may unnecessarily impact issues under investigation,” the bench said.
The court further appealed to the public to avoid speculation and place trust in the CBI, expressing confidence that the agency would conclude the investigation fairly and professionally.
