Twisha Sharma Death Case: Madhya Pradesh High Court Cancels Former Judge Giribala Singh’s Anticipatory Bail

Madhya Pradesh: In a major Republic Media Network impact, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday quashed the anticipatory bail granted to former judge Giribala Singh in connection with the alleged dowry death case of actor-model Twisha Sharma. The order was passed by the Jabalpur bench amid the ongoing probe into the high-profile case, which has triggered allegations of bias, procedural lapses and demands for a fair investigation. 

Giribala Singh had approached a Bhopal sessions court seeking pre-arrest bail just two days after Twisha was found dead at her matrimonial home on May 12.

High Court Pulls Up Lower Court 

In its 17-page order, vacation judge Devnarayan Mishra observed that the trial court failed to properly consider several material facts, including WhatsApp chats and statements made by Twisha’s family members.

“From the WhatsApp chats also, it cannot be said that the allegations are only against Samarth Singh," the High Court said.

The court also stated that the lower court failed to consider some critical factors when giving Giribala Singh anticipatory relief. The High Court overturned the May 15 ruling issued by the 10th Additional Sessions Judge in Bhopal, saying the claims against Giribala Singh warranted further investigation under Sections 80(2), 85, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

Twisha Sharma's father, Navnidhi Sharma, and the Madhya Pradesh government had petitioned the High Court to cancel the anticipatory bail granted by the Bhopal court.

The High Court also took note of the fact that Twisha Sharma’s death took place within seven years of marriage and recorded submissions made by the prosecution that the trial court failed to properly consider the statutory presumption applicable in such cases. The court further observed that while granting anticipatory bail, the trial court appeared to rely heavily on defence material, while statements of prosecution witnesses were not adequately considered.

The High Court also recorded allegations that selective CCTV footage clips were leaked during the course of the investigation, raising concerns over possible tampering with evidence.

Court Notes Pregnancy Termination Allegations

The High Court also observed that it was an admitted fact that Twisha had terminated her pregnancy.

Referring to statements made by Twisha’s family members, the court noted that both Giribala Singh and her son Samarth Singh allegedly harassed Twisha and pressured her into terminating the pregnancy.

The court further took note of the postmortem findings in the case.

While the postmortem report stated that the cause of death was antemortem hanging by ligature, it also recorded six additional injuries on Twisha Sharma’s body.

According to the order, four injuries were found on her left arm, one on a finger and another on her head. All the injuries were identified as antemortem in nature.

The High Court noted that a subsequent query report clarified these injuries were not caused while removing the body from the ligature or during transportation to the hospital, raising further questions in the investigation.

CBI Takes Over Probe, Samarth Singh Sent To Custody

Meanwhile, a Bhopal court on Wednesday remanded Samarth Singh to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Later, CBI agents, accompanied by Samarth Singh, visited Giribala Singh's home in the Katara Hills area as part of the ongoing inquiry. The CBI formally took over the investigation on Monday and re-registered the FIR filed by the Madhya Pradesh Police, which named both Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh as defendants.

SG Tushar Mehta Flags Non-Cooperation, Media Interviews

During the hearing before the Supreme Court earlier this week, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Madhya Pradesh government, accused Giribala Singh of not cooperating with investigators while appearing on media platforms and “maligning the deceased”.

Mehta told the CJI-led Bench that despite repeated requests from investigators, Giribala Singh 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 prosecution also argued that custodial interrogation of the accused may be necessary for a fair and complete investigation into the case.

Family Calls It A Moment Of Justice

Following the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s decision to quash former judge Giribala Singh’s anticipatory bail, members of Twisha Sharma’s family joined Republic Media Network and reacted emotionally to the development, calling it a major step towards justice.

Twisha’s brother, Major Harshit Sharma, said the family was finally beginning to see results because of the continuous efforts made by the channel and those supporting the case. “Finally they are seeing it because of the efforts of your channel, family members…’,” he said. He further alleged that Giribala Singh had violated the conditions attached to her bail and added, “‘She had already violated all the terms of bail that was granted to her’.” Reacting to the High Court order, he also said, “‘We are celebrating’.”

Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma, became emotional while speaking about the verdict and said, “‘Now, I can actually weep from my heart’.” Calling the order a positive development, he added, “‘It is a positive sign, people’s believe will increase in judiciary’.” Remembering his daughter, he also said, “‘Twisha means first ray of sun and first ray of sun will remove all the darkness…’.”

Twisha’s family lawyer, senior advocate Anurag Shrivastava, also reacted to the order and said, “‘Twisha’s soul must be relaxed now’.”