- Supreme Court to review actor’s death amid investigation concerns.
- Family alleges dowry harassment; husband denies, claims suicide.
- NCW seeks report; husband sent to police custody.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a suo motu case related to the unnatural death of 32-year-old actor-model Twisha Sharma at her matrimonial home in Madhya Pradesh, amid allegations of institutional bias, procedural irregularities and possible lapses in the investigation.
The matter has been registered as “In Re: Alleged institutional bias and procedural discrepancies in the unnatural death of a young girl at her matrimonial home” and will be heard on May 25 by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant along with justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi.
According to a person aware of the development, the case has been registered “based on media reports and other attending circumstances”, Hindustan Times reported.
Death At Matrimonial Home
Twisha Sharma died at her in-laws’ residence in Bhopal on May 12, barely five months after her marriage to advocate Samarth Singh.
She was the daughter-in-law of retired district judge Giribala Singh.
Sharma’s family has accused her husband and mother-in-law of dowry harassment, mental and physical torture, and murder. The accused side has denied the allegations and maintained that Sharma died by suicide.
The case has drawn growing public scrutiny over alleged lapses in the investigation, including concerns regarding forensic evidence, CCTV footage, delays in registration of the FIR and allegations of influence being exerted during the probe.
NCW Also Took Suo Motu Cognisance
The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday also took suo motu cognisance of the matter, calling the death “suspicious” and seeking an action taken report from local authorities.
“According to media reports, Twisha Sharma died under suspicious circumstances just five months after her marriage. The victim’s family has levelled serious allegations against her husband, Samar Singh, and mother-in-law, Giribala Singh, of dowry harassment, mental, and physical torture,” the commission said in a statement posted on X.
Husband Sent To Police Custody
On Saturday, a Bhopal court remanded Samarth Singh to seven days of police custody in connection with offences linked to dowry death and harassment.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Anudita Gupta also ordered the seizure of his passport.
Investigators said Singh would be questioned regarding the circumstances surrounding Sharma’s death, WhatsApp chats and allegations raised by her family.
The investigation is currently being conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
MP Government Moves High Court Against Bail to Mother-in-Law
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government has approached the Jabalpur High Court seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta is appearing for the state in the matter, which is also scheduled for hearing on Monday.
High Court Orders Second Post-Mortem
In another significant development, the high court on Friday directed that a second post-mortem examination of Sharma’s body be conducted by a specialised team constituted by AIIMS Delhi.
The court cited serious concerns regarding the first autopsy report and stressed the need to maintain public confidence in the investigation. The procedure has been ordered to be videographed.
Reports related to the initial post-mortem have pointed to alleged inconsistencies, including the absence of certain forensic procedures, discrepancies regarding injuries and questions surrounding the handling of the alleged ligature material.
Police Maintain Suicide Angle
Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar, however, has stated publicly that the investigation so far points towards suicide and not murder.
He also defended the manner in which the investigation was initially conducted.
