BREAKING | Supreme Court Hands Twisha Sharma Death Probe To CBI, Asks Media To Stop Running Public Statements Amid Media Trial Storm
Was media pressure influencing the investigation before the facts were fully examined? Supreme Court has now asked people and media to avoid speculation as the CBI takes over the Twisha Sharma death investigation.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Today (May 25th) indicated that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will take over the investigation into the death of Twisha Sharma in Madhya Pradesh.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta informed the Court that the CBI would take charge of the case and that all administrative formalities would be completed immediately.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court also requested the media to avoid publishing statements from both sides while the investigation is still ongoing.
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“We are slightly at pain because of some of the actions. We will request our media friends to not go for the statements of the victims family or the other family. Let the things move as per law and procedure,” the Chief Justice of India said.
The matter was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi in the suo motu case titled In Re: Alleged Institutional Bias and Procedural Discrepancies in the Unnatural Death of Young Woman at Matrimonial Home.
The Court observed that it had taken suo motu cognisance after narratives started emerging in public that there could be “institutional bias” in the investigation because Twisha Sharma’s husband is a practising advocate and her mother-in-law is a former District Judge.
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The Supreme Court, in its order, asked the media not to publish statements of potential witnesses or accused persons because such reporting may affect issues that are still under investigation. The Court also appealed to the public to avoid speculation and place trust in the investigation being conducted by the country’s premier agency.
The bench further advised the victim’s family to record their statements before the investigating agency instead of addressing the press repeatedly.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before the Court that “one of the potential accused”, the mother-in-law of Twisha, was appearing on multiple news channels and allegedly making statements against the deceased, which then led to counter statements and aggressive media coverage from the other side as well. He also informed the Court that the mother-in-law was allegedly not cooperating with the investigation.
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Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for the accused, raised concerns regarding media reporting and stated that the entire Section 164 CrPC statement had reportedly been published in newspapers.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra argued that there was a delay of three days in registration of the FIR and also alleged failure in preservation of evidence. He further stated that the mother-in-law was allegedly producing her own Call Data Records, which according to him was not legally permissible.
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The Solicitor General also informed the bench that a second post-mortem examination was conducted on Sunday by an AIIMS Bhopal medical team following directions issued by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The Supreme Court had registered the suo motu matter on Saturday based on “media reports and other attending circumstances.”
Twisha Sharma’s husband Samarth Singh, who is a practising advocate, and his mother Giribala Singh, a former District Judge, are facing allegations of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide.
Samarth Singh surrendered before the trial court after withdrawing his anticipatory bail plea from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He has been sent to seven days police custody. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Police have also approached the High Court seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh.
As per reports, Twisha Sharma, aged 33 and a former Miss Pune winner living in Noida, was found dead at her husband’s residence in Bhopal’s Katara Hills on May 12. The couple reportedly met through a dating application around five months ago.
Twisha’s family accused the in-laws of continuous harassment and domestic violence and sought a second post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death. The Madhya Pradesh High Court later allowed the plea for a second autopsy.
Explanatory Table Of Laws & Legal Sections Involved
The Supreme Court itself cautioned media against running statements from either side because public narratives were influencing the investigation before facts were fully established.
The husband faced arrest, police custody, passport restrictions, and nationwide public scrutiny even before final forensic findings or trial conclusions.
The Court acknowledged concerns regarding “institutional bias” and procedural discrepancies, showing that investigation fairness itself had become a serious issue.
Publication of Section 164 CrPC statements and continuous television debates raised major concerns about violation of due process and presumption of innocence.
The case once again exposes how in high-profile matrimonial allegations, men are often socially declared guilty first while legal safeguards arrive much later.
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