Twisha Sharma Dowry Death: MP High Court Reserves Verdict On Pleas Against Giribala Singh's Anticipatory Bail, Allows Impleadment Of CBI

Update - Twisha Sharma Dowry Death Case | MP High Court Quashes Anticipatory Bail Granted To Mother-In-Law Giribala SinghThe Madhya Pradesh High Court has reserved it's verdict in pleas by the State and parents of Twisha Sharma, challenging the grant of anticipatory bail to Twisha's mother-in-law Giribala Singh in her alleged dowry death case.A single-judge Bench of Justice Devnarayan Mishra reserved the verdict after hearing all sides.During the hearing, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra appearing for Twisha's parents argued that the Bhopal Court order granting anticipatory to the mother-in-law Giribala, also a retired Judge, was premature, passed without her joining the investigation "even for a single day".Luthra referred to Twisha's WhatsApp chats, from days before the suicide, allegedly reflecting that she was "feeling suffocated" and urged her parents to take her back.He argued that the Sessions Court wrongly laid emphasis on the fact that the 'main allegations were against the husband'. "This one sentence is taken out of context and becomes the basis for grant of anticipatory bail...FIR is at nascent stage...Is it not premature for the court to consider anticipatory bail at this stage....The court ignored all chats and just picked one sentence out of context and made it basis for grant of anticipatory bail."He lastly argued that Giribala commands influence and remained in custody of the house where the incident took place for three days.Advocate Anurag Shrivastav also appearing for the parents also emphasized on the influence that Giribala commands, by submitting that the Police delayed registering an FIR and meanwhile, Giribala proceeded to seek anticipatory bail."After 12th (date of suicide) the parents were continuously trying to file FIR but it was not filed until 15th. However, bail application was filed on 14th. Would the police had been able to do a complete investigation for the Bhopal Court to consider the facts and grant bail?" he submitted.The counsel further submitted that the in-laws are in access of all videography and CCTV footage. "They (in-laws)did not inform the local police immediately, and the morgue was also intimated on 13 May, rather than 12 May...They did not even inform the hospital or call an ambulance. The medical professionals could have brought her body down from the third floor. There could have been a small chance of her survival...they took her body to such far away hospital of AIIMS rather than take her to the hospital nearest to their house," he said.Advocate General Prashant Singh appearing for the State also opposed grant of anticipatory bail, stating that Bhopal Court took into consideration all defence documents presented by the accused, without giving time to the investigating agency to collect any material after registration of FIR. "So many documents, including her (Twisha's) medicines and her mental conditions, which were not collected by agency, but were considered by the court...It appears as though the trial judge is conducting a mini-trial in a bail application," he said.Further pointing to Giribala's conduct, the AG said, "The accused was granted anticipatory bail, and she invited a press conference on the 18th, and she made wild allegations against a dead person who cannot counter the allegations." Moreover, he claimed that she failed to comply with the bail condition requiring her to cooperate with the investigation, by declining to appear before the Police despite three notices being served on her. "She is not turning up; she is free to address the media and widely circulate her own narrative. But she is not cooperating with the agency."The AG also referred to reasons for death in Twisha's post-mortem report, pointing that an injury was found on her head. "There is a presumption of dowry death....The possibility of hitting her on her head cannot be ruled out...these injuries are ante-mortem.""The bluish contusions are simple in nature and are three days old. The contusions before the elbow are shortly before death," he further read from the post mortem report.CBI, which has been handed over the probe, also handed over a written note of submissions to the Court setting out the reasons for Giribala's custodial interrogation.Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan appearing for Giribala Singh argued that several allegations made by the prosecution and the complainant's side were “contrary to the record” and based on “false statements”.She submitted that Twisha Sharma was found hanging around 10:30 PM on May 12 and was shifted to AIIMS Bhopal within twenty minutes. Ramakrishnan argued that by the morning of May 13, the police had already taken control of the premises and sealed the house except for one bathroom and a room. “So this question of this whole thing being in our custody is false,” she contended.Refuting allegations of non-cooperation, the senior counsel said she had remained accessible to the investigating agency throughout and had personally...

Twisha Sharma Dowry Death: MP High Court Reserves Verdict On Pleas Against Giribala Singh's Anticipatory Bail, Allows Impleadment Of CBI

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Twisha Sharma Dowry Death: MP High Court Reserves Verdict On Pleas Against Giribala Singh's Anticipatory Bail, Allows Impleadment Of CBI

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