The CBI has backed a plea to transfer the Twisha Sharma case from Bhopal to Delhi, telling the Supreme Court that the accused’s judicial background and local influence could affect the proceedings and intimidate witnesses. The court has now adjourned the hearing for a week.
The agency made the submission in a counter-affidavit filed on October 29 in response to a petition by Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma. He has sought the transfer of the case to Delhi, arguing that an independent and fair trial may not be possible in Bhopal.
According to the CBI’s affidavit, Twisha’s mother-in-law, Giribala Singh, is a retired district and sessions judge, while her husband, Samarth Singh, is a lawyer. The agency described both as influential people in Bhopal and said their position could allow them to affect the trial proceedings or intimidate witnesses.
The CBI also alleged that Giribala Singh interfered in the initial investigation conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Police. It further claimed that she attempted to manage the crime scene and tamper with evidence after Twisha’s death. These remain allegations placed before the Supreme Court by the investigating agency and have not been established through a final judicial finding.
The Supreme Court had already stayed proceedings in the Bhopal sessions court on October 16 while considering the transfer petition. It had issued notices to the CBI, Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh. The agency filed its response after that order, supporting the request for the case to be heard in Delhi.
Twisha, 33, was found hanging at her in-laws’ home in the Katara Hills area of Bhopal on May 12, according to the report. Her family has accused her in-laws of harassing her for dowry and abetting suicide. The in-laws, on the other hand, have claimed that Twisha was addicted to drugs. Police registered a first information report against her husband and mother-in-law under allegations related to dowry harassment.
The transfer plea places the question of trial venue at the centre of the case. A transfer from Bhopal to Delhi would change the court where the proceedings are conducted, while the Supreme Court’s existing stay means that the trial proceedings in Bhopal remain halted for now. The next development will depend on the court’s consideration of the CBI’s affidavit and the responses from the accused parties at the resumed hearing.
