The Supreme Court on Monday is set to hear a suo motu case over the death of 32-year-old model-actress Twisha Sharma at their matrimonial home in Madhya Pradesh, amid mounting allegations of institutional bias, procedural irregularities and possible lapses in the investigation.
The case has been registered under the title ‘In re: Alleged institutional bias and procedural discrepancies in the unnatural death of a young girl in the matrimonial home’ and will be heard by a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalia Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi. The Supreme Court took cognizance based on media reports and surrounding circumstances connected with the case.
The investigation is under scrutiny
Twisha Sharma, a Noida resident who married Bhopal-based lawyer Samarth Singh in December 2025, was found dead at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on May 12, just five months after her wedding. Her family accused Samarth and his mother, retired district judge Giribala Singh, of dowry harassment, mental and physical torture and murder. The accused family denied these allegations and confirmed that Twisha died by suicide.
The case has drawn national attention following allegations of delay in registering an FIR, discrepancies in the initial post-mortem examination, questions over the handling of CCTV footage and allegations of influence in the investigation. It is currently being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
On Friday, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered a second autopsy to be conducted by a specialist team from AIIMS Delhi, citing serious concerns over the first autopsy report and the need to maintain public confidence in the investigation. The procedure was directed to be videotaped. Reports on the first autopsy indicated alleged discrepancies relating to injuries, forensic procedures and the handling of the alleged ligature material.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government has sought cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Giribala, and the Jabalpur High Court is scheduled to hear the case on Monday.
Samarth is in police custody
Samarth, who was allegedly on the run for several days after the incident, surrendered before the police on Friday and was remanded in remand for seven days by a Bhopal court on Saturday in connection with crimes related to murder and dowry harassment.
The court also ordered the confiscation of his passport. Investigators said he will be questioned about the circumstances surrounding Twisha’s death, the WhatsApp chats and the allegations made by her family.
Police also issued notices to Giripala, although she claimed she had not received them and said she was ready to cooperate with investigators.
The case also sparked public outrage after several statements made by Gribala in media interviews sparked criticism. In one of the alleged audio clips that surfaced online, Twisha’s family claimed that the retired judge had questioned her daughter-in-law’s character. Giripala also publicly claimed that Twisha was undergoing psychiatric treatment and accused her of drug abuse, allegations strongly disputed by the victim’s family.
New details appear
Investigators are also examining new details surrounding Twisha’s movements and state of mind before her death. Officials said Twisha had planned to travel to Ajmer on May 15 to meet her brother, Major Harshit Sharma, just three days after she was found dead. “We are examining why she took this extreme step despite her travel plans,” an official said.
According to investigators, there were disagreements between Twisha and Samarth in the weeks before her death over her travel plans and future aspirations. But her father rejected Samarth’s story as fabricated and reiterated the family’s request for a CBI investigation into the case.
The Madhya Pradesh government has now officially asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to take over the investigation into the case.
