Twisha Sharma death case: Supreme Court takes suo moto cognisance; CJI-led bench to hear matter on Monday
PTC News Desk: The Supreme Court on Saturday took suo moto cognisance of the Twisha Sharma case amid mounting concerns over alleged procedural lapses, institutional bias and claims that the investigation into the 33-year-old woman’s death may have been compromised.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will hear the matter on Monday, May 25.
The suo motu case has been registered under the title: “In Re: Alleged Institutional Bias and Procedural Discrepancies in the unnatural death of a young girl at her matrimonial home”.
The Registry noted allegations that the investigation may have been influenced because the deceased woman’s in-laws were connected to the judiciary. It specifically mentioned claims that this influence was allegedly linked to the fact that the deceased’s mother-in-law is a retired district judge.
“A perusal of the contents of the media reports, the subsequent developments in the matter, and the observations made by the HC indicates that a narrative is being projected by a section of the media suggesting that a fair and independent investigation has allegedly been compromised on account of judicial influence,” the note said.
The document also referred to allegations of mental harassment, dowry demands, and an alleged attempt to cover up the matter institutionally.
“Additionally, apart from levelling allegations pertaining to mental harassment, dowry-related demands, and an alleged institutional cover-up purportedly arising from the deceased’s in-laws’ deep-rooted association with the judicial system, the family members of the deceased have also sought a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the matter,” the note said.
Earlier, the deceased woman’s family had approached the High Court seeking intervention in the case.
Considering the concerns raised by the petitioner, the High Court said that a second post-mortem examination was necessary to remove any doubts and to strengthen public trust in the investigation process.
The court therefore directed the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences to form an independent team of experts to travel to Bhopal and carry out the second post-mortem examination.
- With inputs from agencies
