‘Divorced Daughter Better Than A Dead One’: SG Tushar Mehta, As SC Asks Family, Accused To Not Talk To Media | Twisha Sharma Death Case

New Delhi: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Madhya Pradesh government in the Twisha Sharma death case in the Supreme Court on Monday, made explosive submissions before the CJI-led Bench, accusing former judge Giri Bala Singh of refusing to cooperate with investigators while simultaneously appearing across media platforms and “maligning the deceased”.

Mehta told the Bench that despite repeated requests by investigators, Giri Bala had avoided formally recording her statement in the case.

“This former judge 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,” Mehta submitted before the court.

The sharp remarks came during the hearing on the transfer of the Twisha Sharma death probe to the CBI amid allegations of institutional bias, delayed FIR registration and failure to preserve evidence.

Mehta further said that while the matter should not be sensationalised, media scrutiny had undeniably helped bring key aspects of the case to light.

“It should not be sensationalised but at the same time, because of the media intervention, several things have come out,” the Solicitor General said.

In one of the hearing’s most striking observations, Mehta said, “Without attributing motives to either side, the moral of the story is clear. It is better to have a divorced daughter than a dead one.”

The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, repeatedly stressed the need for an impartial and independent investigation while cautioning against media trials and speculative narratives.

The CJI observed that the court was “slightly pained” by developments surrounding the case and urged both the victim’s family and the accused side to place their versions before investigators instead of making public statements.

“We would like to impress upon the family members of the victim as well as the accused that instead of making statements in public or before media platforms, they should get their versions recorded before the investigating agency,” the Bench observed.

The court also appealed to media organisations not to convert witness statements into “sound bytes”.

At the same time, the Bench acknowledged that the case itself had come into sharper focus due to media reporting.

“It came to our notice also only because of the media,” the CJI said during the hearing.

Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing in the matter, flagged serious concerns, including a three-day delay in FIR registration and alleged lapses in evidence preservation.

The Supreme Court was informed that the CBI would immediately take over the investigation. Mehta assured the Bench that he would speak to the authorities concerned to ensure the central agency promptly assumes control of the probe.

Following the hearing, it emerged that a CBI team would depart for Bhopal on Monday itself to formally take over the investigation from the Madhya Pradesh Police. The agency is expected to re-register the FIR originally lodged at the Katara Hills Police Station, constitute a Special Investigation Team and record statements from both the accused and the deceased’s families.

The SIT will reportedly be led by a DIG-rank officer and include officials from both the Delhi and Madhya Pradesh units of the CBI.

The agency is also expected to examine the residence of accused Samarth Sharma, including the room occupied by Twisha Sharma before her death.

The Twisha Sharma case has triggered nationwide outrage, with allegations ranging from dowry harassment to institutional shielding due to the accused family’s legal background. Republic has been extensively covering the developments, including alleged inconsistencies, delayed police action and key audio evidence linked to the probe.

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