Twisha Sharma's Father Moves Supreme Court Seeking Trial Transfer To Delhi; Bhopal Court Proceedings Stayed

The Supreme Court today issued notice in a petition moved by Navnidhi Sharma, Twisha Sharma's father seeking to transfer the trial relating to the death of his 33-year-old daughter to Delhi.

A CJI Surya Kant led bench has stayed trial proceedings in the case before the Bhopal Sessions Court as it issued notice to the CBI, accused Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh on the plea by Sharma seeking transfer of the trial to Delhi.

Twisha’s father has sought transfer of the case to Delhi to ensure a free and fair trial. His plea raises concerns over the alleged influence of Giribala Singh, a former district judge.

Twisha Sharma was found dead at her matrimonial home in Bhopal's Katara Hills area on May 12, barely five months after her wedding to advocate Samarth Singh, Giribala's son. Her family alleged foul play, with her brother, Major Harshit Sharma of the Indian Army, claiming she had faced continuous harassment over a dowry demand of roughly two lakh rupees and restrictions on her access to money. An FIR naming Samarth and Giribala Singh followed two days later; Samarth was arrested in Jabalpur on May 22 after evading arrest for ten days.

The Supreme Court had subsequently taken suo motu cognisance, citing concern that a judicial officer's alleged involvement could dent public confidence in the justice system, and transferred the probe to the CBI. Both have been in custody since June 2, facing dowry death charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

On May 25, the Supreme Court was informed that investigation into the death of 33-year old Twisha Sharma will be taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta told the court the CBI will take over the probe, and that administrative steps will be taken in that regard.

SG Mehta had during the hearing told court that Giribala Singh, Twisha's mother-in-law and an accused in the case was maligning Twisha's character. "This is a former judge who has been giving interviews in some or other channel maligning the deceased. We requested her so many times to record her statement she does not want to do it. We were okay to go to her place also. But she is not cooperating," SG Mehta had told the bench.

Stressing on Twisha's condition at her marital home, SG told the bench that she was living in hell. "One thing is clear that the girl has lost her life. Whether it's suicide or anything else..for parents the moral is better to have a divorced daughter than a dead one. So many messages by her...she was living in hell," SG said.

In August, the CBI filed a 636-page charge sheet against them. The chargesheet, filed on August 17 before a special court in Bhopal, draws on WhatsApp messages, phone records, CCTV footage, medical records, counselling notes and financial documents to piece together the events leading to Twisha's death on the night of May 12 at her Bhopal home. Samarth and Giribala have been booked under Sections 85, 108 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Corresponding to 498-A, 306 and 34 of IPC).

According to the CBI, Twisha, former Miss Pune and actor, met Samarth on a dating application in February 2025 and married him that December. The agency alleged that after the wedding, Samarth repeatedly made sexually derogatory remarks and raised objections over relationships Twisha had disclosed before marriage, while Giribala routinely sided with her son whenever Twisha protested. The marriage deteriorated sharply through March and April 2026, a period that included pressure on Twisha to return to Bhopal while her father was recovering from a heart attack, and a dispute over roughly Rs 20 lakh in her personal investments that the accused allegedly wanted moved into a joint account. She refused, saying the money belonged to her father.

Twisha had discovered she was pregnant on April 16, and the chargesheet describes the pregnancy as unplanned, with Twisha uncertain about continuing it given Samarth's alleged conduct. After an argument on April 17, she left the matrimonial home, and on May 6 she rejoined her previous job and took the first dose of medication to terminate the pregnancy, telling her mother that her life had become "hell." Giribala, the chargesheet says, wanted the termination reversed, but doctors said this was not possible. On May 8, Twisha took the second dose and experienced pain and bleeding, which the CBI says Samarth dismissed as "drama." She later told her sister-in-law that Giribala had called her a "murderer" three times over the abortion, and told her mother that Samarth had questioned whether the pregnancy was even his.

On May 12, Twisha decided to leave Bhopal for good and booked a train ticket to Nasirabad. That morning, she and Samarth attended a counselling session, after which the couple returned home. She visited a beauty parlour and returned by 6:11 p.m. By 9:20 p.m., she was on a call with sister-in-law Rashi Abrol, crying, and alleged that Samarth turned "aggressive and violent" after she asked him to sleep in another room because of her back pain. At 9:36 p.m., she sent Rashi a message: "Ask him to collect leftover of his wife. But tomorrow. Let me die in peace right now." CCTV footage cited in the chargesheet allegedly shows her walking towards the terrace four minutes later. She also called her parents, telling them she was frightened and asking them to come immediately.

Around 10:16 p.m., CCTV allegedly shows Giribala heading to Twisha's room after failing to reach her, followed by Giribala and Samarth heading towards the terrace at 10:23 p.m. Twisha was carried downstairs and taken to AIIMS Bhopal, where she was declared dead at 10:55 p.m.

Case Title: NAVNIDHI SHARMA Vs CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Bench: CJI Kant, Justice Bagchi

Hearing Date: October 16, 2026