The Madhya Pradesh High Court has quashed the anticipatory bail previously granted to retired judge Giribala Singh in connection with the suspicious death of her 33-year-old daughter-in-law, Twisha Sharma.
In a scathing 17-page order, Justice Devnarayan Mishra cleared the path for Singh’s custodial interrogation, ruling that the Bhopal Sessions Court had prematurely accepted defence arguments while entirely overlooking critical evidence, including severe allegations of dowry harassment and forced abortion pressure.
Timeline of the Case
The case involves the sudden death of Twisha Sharma within just five months of her marriage into a politically and legally influential family:
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December 9, 2025: Twisha Sharma marries Samarth Singh, the son of retired judicial officer Giribala Singh.
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May 12, 2026: Twisha is found dead, allegedly by hanging, inside her matrimonial home in Bhopal.
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May 15, 2026: The Bhopal Sessions Court (10th Additional Sessions Judge) quickly grants anticipatory bail to Giribala Singh.
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May 26, 2026: The Madhya Pradesh High Court forcefully overturns the lower court’s bail order following widespread public and legal outrage.
Crucial Evidence Flagged by the High Court
The High Court noted that the initial investigation point-blank contradicted the narrative of a simple suicide, pointing to deep-seated systemic harassment and suspicious actions post-incident:
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Ante-Mortem Injuries: The postmortem report revealed six distinct injuries on Twisha’s body—including on her head, arm, and finger—incurred before her death. The court explicitly noted these could not have happened while lowering or transporting her body.
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Paternity and Pregnancy Harassment: Recovered WhatsApp chats and family statements revealed that Twisha was relentlessly harassed over her pregnancy. Her husband and in-laws openly doubted the child’s paternity and pressured her to undergo an abortion.
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Expertise in Evidence Tampering: The prosecution raised alarms over Giribala Singh’s specialized background as a retired judge trained in cybercrime, digital forensics, and crime scene management, suggesting she may have actively used this expertise to manipulate the investigation.
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Media Manipulation: The court expressed deep concern over the selective leaking of private CCTV clips to social media and news outlets to construct a favorable public narrative, alongside Singh hosting press conferences to malign the deceased woman while ignoring police summons.
The Court’s Stance: The High Court observed that the lower court completely ignored the strict legal presumptions tied to dowry deaths. Given the severity of the pressure to terminate her pregnancy, the visible bodily injuries, and the high probability of an influential accused manipulating evidence, the High Court ruled that letting the accused remain out on bail would severely compromise judicial integrity.
The case against the accused stands registered under Sections 80(2), 85, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) alongside Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
