Twisha Sharma dowry death case: SC takes suo motu cognisance; hearing by CJI-led bench likely on Monday

The Supreme Court on Saturday took suo motu cognisance of the Twisha Sharma ‘dowry’ death case over alleged institutional bias and procedural discrepancies in the matter.

According to the details uploaded on the apex court website, the court registered the suo moto case after taking note of media reports and other attending circumstances.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi is scheduled to hear the matter on May 25.


The suo moto case is titled “alleged institutional bias and procedural discrepancies in the unnatural death of a young girl at her matrimonial home”.

The case pertains to allegations of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide against Twisha’s husband and in-laws, one of whom is a retired district judge. Twisha (33) was found hanging at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12. Her family accused her in-laws of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide.

Police registered an FIR under Sections 80(2), 85 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with relevant provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act against her lawyer husband Samarth Singh and mother-in-law Giribala Singh, a retired district and sessions judge and current chairperson of the Bhopal Consumer Court.

Also Read: Dowry death case: Twisha Sharma's family moves HC for second autopsy

Husband under custody

Samarth Singh was arrested on Friday after being on the run for 10 days. He has been remanded in police custody for seven days.

Singh, son of former judge and Bhopal Consumer Court chairperson Giribala Singh, was brought to Bhopal from Jabalpur in the early hours of Saturday and taken to Katara Hills police station, sources told news agency PTI.

A lawyer by profession, Singh had been evading arrest since an FIR was registered against him and his mother following Twisha Sharma's death on May 12. A reward of Rs 30,000 was declared on information leading to his arrest.

A four-member team of doctors from AIIMS Delhi is scheduled to conduct a second autopsy on Twisha on Sunday, following a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that came in response to a petition filed by her parents.

On May 22, the Bar Council of India suspended Samarth Singh from legal practice with immediate effect following the alleged dowry death of Twisha.

In the interim order, the apex bar body said the accusations against him were "grave" and impacted the dignity and public image of the legal profession.