MP HC Denies Bail to Former Judge Giribala Singh in Daughter-in-Law Twisha Sharma Death Case [Read Order]

Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has rejected the first regular bail application of Giribala Singh, mother of co-accused Samarth Singh, in the CBI case over the death of her daughter-in-law Twisha Sharma, noting that further investigation is continuing and key forensic and digital reports are awaited.

Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari was hearing the application under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in Crime No. RC 4(S)/2026/CBI/SC-III/ND, registered under Sections 80(2), 85, 108 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The applicant has been in jail since 02.06.2026.

As per the prosecution, the couple married on 09.12.2025, and Twisha Sharma was subjected to mental cruelty by her husband, with the applicant allegedly instigating him and shielding him when complaints were made. The deceased died at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on the night of 12.05.2026, after allegedly sending distressed messages to her family.

The applicant’s counsel argued that the allegations in the WhatsApp chats concerned only the co-accused, that there was no material of harassment by her, and that doctors’ statements showed the deceased herself wished to end the pregnancy. It was also submitted that the dowry allegation was disputed as the applicant and her son had transferred Rs. 7,50,000 to the deceased’s account, that the applicant, aged about 64, is a former member of the Higher Judiciary, that she had given her voice sample, and that custodial interrogation was no longer needed. Reliance was placed on Jayedeepsingh Pravinsingh Chavda v. State of Gujarat, among other rulings.

The CBI, the State and the objector opposed bail, pointing to allegations that the applicant and her son pressured the deceased to transfer investments of about Rs. 20 lakh, taunted her over her past career, and questioned the paternity of the child. They relied on WhatsApp messages of 07.05.2026 to 12.05.2026 and CCTV footage showing the applicant and her son going towards the terrace before the deceased was carried downstairs, and said further investigation under Section 193(9) of the BNSS is on.

The court noted that both post-mortem reports gave the cause of death as asphyxia due to antemortem hanging, the second, by an AIIMS Medical Board, describing it as suicidal in nature. It held that the question of mens rea “cannot be considered in isolation from the other circumstances emerging from the case diary,” and found the Supreme Court ruling relied on by the applicant distinguishable on facts.

The court observed that extraction of data from the deceased’s iPhone and the forensic report on the DVR footage at the applicant’s residence are awaited, and that the case diary contains material that the applicant allegedly contacted influential persons after the incident. 

Considering the gravity of the allegations and the stage of investigation, it declined to enlarge the applicant on bail “at this stage” and rejected the application.

Appearances:

For the Applicant: Shri Surendra Singh and Shri Ajay Gupta, Senior Advocates, with Shri Shivam Singh and others, Advocates.

For the CBI: Shri Sunil Jain, Additional Solicitor General, and Shri Suyash Mohan Guru, Deputy Solicitor General, with Shri Kartik Dubey and Shri Abhishek Dwivedi, Advocates.

For the Respondent/Objector: Shri Siddharth Luthra, Senior Advocate, with Shri Siddharth Agrawal, Senior Advocate (through VC), and others, Advocates.

For the State: Shri C M Tiwari, Government Advocate.

Case Title: Smt. Giribala Singh vs. The State of Madhya Pradesh, MCRC No. 37723 of 2026 (Neutral Citation 2026:MPHC-JBP:86781)

[Read Order]