‘Hopping from one TV channel to another’: MP govt’s sharp remark in Supreme Court on Twisha Sharma’s mother-in-law

BHOPAL/NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered an immediate CBI probe into the unnatural death of actor and corporate professional-turned-performer Twisha Sharma, MP govt also told the apex court that the victim’s mother-in-law had been “hopping from one TV channel to another” after securing anticipatory bail instead of cooperating with cops.CBI took over the investigation from Bhopal police and is likely to seek custody of Twisha's husband, Samarth Singh, who is currently on police remand, and may recreate the crime scene on Tuesday. The top court bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said it had taken suo motu cognizance of the case after several media reports apprehended institutional bias and interference in probe as the husband is a lawyer and the mother-in-law a retired district judge, who had got an anticipatory bail within a day of applying for it. SC urges public not to speculate On Monday, the vacation bench of MP HC deferred hearing on petitions filed by Twisha Sharma's father Navnidhi Sharma and the state govt seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh, the mother-in-law of Twisha, to May 27. The hearing was postponed after senior counsel appearing for Giribala informed the court that she had not received a copy of the petition.Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for MP govt, told the apex court that the mother-in-law, a potential accused in the case, has been hopping from one TV channel to another giving statements maligning the deceased, after she got anticipatory bail on May 15.

"The state has challenged the grant of anticipatory bail to her. She is not cooperating with investigations and has not recorded her statement with police despite several notices being issued to her. The investigating agency needs to seize her mobile phone and other electronic devices, which could be crucial evidence in the case," he said.The CJI-led bench said, "We have no doubt that the CBI will conduct an impartial probe.

The moment a narrative about institutional bias was built, the state rightly referred the investigations to the CBI."But SC bench disapproved of media taking statements of witnesses and potential accused and requested it to desist from the same as it could prejudice or jeopardise rights of the complainant and potential accused, in addition to interfering with a fair trial. Mehta said it was because of media that the case got highlighted.The bench said the people concerned, instead of giving interviews to media, should go before investigating agencies and record their statements. "We also request the public not to speculate and have trust and faith in the premier investigating agency, which in due course will take the investigations to its logical end," bench said.When senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for family members of deceased, attempted to show it certain documents, the bench told him to give them to the investigating agency.