Supreme Court Stays Trial In Twisha Sharma Case, Seeks Response On Transfer Plea
The Supreme Court stayed the ongoing trial in the unnatural death case of former model Twisha Sharma before the Bhopal Sessions Court.
Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, Supreme Court
The Supreme Court today stayed the ongoing trial in the unnatural death case of former model Twisha Sharma before a Bhopal Sessions Court and issued notices to the CBI, her husband Samarth Singh and mother-in-law Giribala Singh on a plea seeking transfer of the proceedings to a Delhi court.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order on a petition filed by Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma, who expressed apprehension that his daughter’s case may not receive a fair trial in Madhya Pradesh.
Navnidhi Sharma cited the influence of his daughter’s mother-in-law, a retired district judge.
Twisha, 33, was found hanging at her marital home in Bhopal's Katara Hills area on May 12. Her family accused her in-laws of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide. Her in-laws claimed she suffered from drug addiction.
Police registered an FIR against her husband and her mother-in-law on charges of dowry harassment.
Senior Advocates Siddharth Luthra and Siddharth Aggarwal, along with Advocate Abhijeet Sinha, appeared for Navnidhi Sharma.
The petitioner sought transfer of the Trial to Delhi on grounds that he is settled in the Delhi-NCR region.
The case is pending before a District & Additional Sessions Judge in Bhopal.
As of October 10, the proceedings had reached the stage of arguments on the framing of charges.
The Apex Court had taken suo motu cognisance of Twisha’s death in May this year amid concerns over the fairness of the investigation by the Madhya Pradesh police.
The probe was subsequently transferred to the CBI.
On May 25, the CJI-led Bench said it was "pained" by the narrative that the judiciary was shielding the accused. It said it would ensure a fair, independent, and impartial CBI probe into the death of the former model-turned-actor.
The initial FIR was registered under Sections 80(2), 85 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to dowry death, cruelty by a husband or his relatives, and common intention, respectively.
Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, which deal with giving or taking dowry and demanding dowry, were also invoked.
Following investigation, the CBI dropped the dowry-death charge against Giribala Singh and invoked Section 108 of the BNS, which deals with abetment of suicide. According to the prosecution, she allegedly abetted Twisha’s suicide by taunting and harassing her.
Giribala Singh was granted anticipatory bail by the Bhopal Trial Court on May 15.
The Madhya Pradesh Government and Twisha’s parents challenged the order before the High Court, which quashed her anticipatory bail on May 27.
[With PTI Inputs]