New Delhi: As the Supreme Court heard the case related to the death of former actor-model Twisha Sharma, her family’s lawyer Anurag Srivastava Monday said the apex court’s intervention has brought great satisfaction to the family, which had earlier struggled to get its concerns heard.
Advocate Srivastava said, “It was a very sensitive matter. There was a time when no one was listening to Twisha’s family, and they were running from place to place. This is a matter of great satisfaction for us. Whatever developments took place in the last eight to ten days, the Supreme Court has taken cognisance of them.”
He further stated that the decision to hand over the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was a positive step taken by the state government.
“The state government took the initiative and recommended handing over the case to the CBI, which has already been done. The family’s concern was that the case should be transferred to the CBI as soon as possible, as the matter was still with the SIT in Bhopal,” he said.
Srivastava added that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the state government, assured the Supreme Court that all remaining procedural formalities and notifications required for transferring the case would be completed at the earliest.
“He assured the court that they would try their best to complete the process today itself and hand over the matter to the CBI,” he said.
According to Srivastava, the Supreme Court also directed the CBI to immediately begin the investigation and start recording statements from witnesses from both sides.
“The Supreme Court believes that the CBI will take up the matter fairly and ensure justice. The court also said that all evidence should be handed over to the CBI so that there is neutrality and transparency in the investigation,” he added.
Referring to Twisha’s mother-in-law and accused Giribala Singh, Srivastava said the court also took note of the statements being made in the media.
“Giribala Singh, being an accused, was giving several statements to the media. Therefore, the Supreme Court observed that everything related to the matter should now be presented before the CBI,” he said.
Srivastava further stated that the Supreme Court was treating the matter seriously and would closely monitor developments in the investigation.
“If there are any lapses in the investigation, procedural irregularities, or institutional biases, the Supreme Court can also take suo motu cognisance of the matter. I hope the court will examine the case very carefully,” he said.
Meanwhile, advocate Seema Samridhi Kushwaha also raised several questions regarding the circumstances surrounding Twisha Sharma’s death.
“You all saw the bail granted to Giribala Singh and how confidently she spoke to the media afterwards. Everyone saw how influential she appeared to be. The matter has now been handed over to the CBI on the directions of the Supreme Court, and the agency will conduct a proper investigation,” she said.
Questioning the suicide angle, Kushwaha said, “Twisha was speaking to her parents on the phone, and suddenly the call got disconnected. Her phone was switched off despite repeated calls. How could she commit suicide within half an hour? This is a very serious question.”
She also questioned the circumstances related to the injuries found on Twisha’s body and the alleged manner of hanging.
“She was 5 feet 8 inches tall. If she hanged herself, what did she use — a chair or a stool? I heard a statement by (husband) Samarth (Singh) in which he said his mother tried to pull the body down from the bed. Then the question arises, if she could reach there, how did Twisha reach there? I hope the daughter gets justice,” Kushwaha added.
