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Calling the Supreme Court's suo motu cognisance of the Twisha Sharma death case a significant development, Advocate Ankur Pandey, counsel for Twisha's family, on Sunday said the apex court has acknowledged concerns raised by the family regarding "institutional bias" and "procedural lapses" in the handling of the case.
Speaking to ANI here, Pandey said the family had pointed to shortcomings at multiple levels from the beginning, including the investigation, medical examination and judicial proceedings. "From the very beginning, the family has pointed out shortcomings, whether it's the investigating agency, AIIMS, the police administration, or the judiciary. The suo moto cognisance taken yesterday is very important. It mentions two things: one is institutional bias, and the other is procedural lapses," Pandey said. He said the apex court has acknowledged concerns surrounding the conduct of multiple institutions involved in the case. "So, institutional bias, whether from the judiciary, the police, or AIIMS, has been addressed. The Supreme Court has taken suo moto cognisance of all these matters, and there's a hearing on Monday, in which Siddharth Luthra is appearing. We hope that whatever guidelines are issued after this, the investigation will be fair," he said. Pandey further said the reference to procedural lapses includes issues related to the grant of bail and actions of the authorities involved in the case. "Furthermore, they also mentioned procedural lapses. That procedural lapse relates to the granting of bail, whether by AIIMS or the police administration. The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of all these matters, and after a proper discussion, a proper decision based on the merits, and appropriate action will be taken against them. If any shortcomings are found, action will be taken against them. The Supreme Court has taken suo motu action in this matter," he added. Welcoming the SC's intervention, Twisha's uncle Lokesh Sharma said the family now feels hopeful that justice will be delivered. "We wholeheartedly welcome the decision by the Supreme Court. We feel the deceased will definitely get justice now. The cremation will be carried out with complete rituals," Sharma told ANI. The remarks came as a team of four senior doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) arrived in Bhopal to conduct a second post-mortem examination of Twisha Sharma, following directions from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The team reportedly brought specialised medical equipment to carry out the procedure. Earlier in the day, Twisha's father, Navnidhi Sharma, expressed confidence that the truth would emerge through the fresh autopsy. "The team from AIIMS have arrived, and we are confident they will bring us justice. The discrepancies will come forth. We were called for the body recognition protocol. Thanks to everyone, including the Chief Minister, who took cognisance and gave a recommendation of the CBI," Navnidhi Sharma told ANI. The Supreme Court on Saturday registered a suo motu case titled 'In Re Alleged Institutional Bias and Procedural Discrepancies in the Unnatural Death of a Young Woman at Matrimonial Home'. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant is expected to hear the matter on Monday. Meanwhile, a local court in Bhopal remanded Twisha's husband and prime accused Samarth Singh to seven days of police custody from May 23 to May 29 for further interrogation. Singh was arrested in Jabalpur on May 22 after being absconding. Twisha Sharma, a resident of Noida, married Bhopal resident Samarth Singh in December 2025. Following her death on May 12, her family alleged that she was subjected to mental torture and dowry harassment by her husband and his family, triggering widespread outrage and calls for a fair and detailed probe. The Madhya Pradesh government has already recommended a CBI investigation into the case, while Twisha's family continues to demand an impartial probe. (ANI)
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