Supreme Court halts Bhopal trial in Twisha Sharma death case and orders transfer review

The Supreme Court intervened in the trial concerning former model and actor Twisha Sharma’s death, issuing a stay on the Bhopal proceedings and directing the Central Bureau of Investigation, her husband Samarth Singh and mother-in-law Giribala Singh to answer a transfer petition. The request was lodged by Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma, who expressed concern that the influence of Giribala Singh, a retired district judge, could compromise the fairness of a trial in Madhya Pradesh.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi granted the stay and sent notices to the involved parties. The case, now before an additional district and sessions judge in Bhopal, includes charges of dowry harassment, cruelty and abetment to suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Dowry Prohibition Act. Earlier, the Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognizance of Twisha’s May death and shifted the investigation from state police to the CBI.

The CBI’s charge sheet accuses Samarth and Giribala of various offenses, though the dowry-death charge against Giribala was dropped. The trial had reached the stage of arguments on framing the charges as of the latest hearing.