Twisha Sharma Dowry Death Case: MP Court Denies Bail To Former Judge Giribala Singh
Jayanti Pahwa
28 July 2026 7:00 AM IST
A Bhopal Court, on Saturday (July 25), denied the bail application filed by the retired Judge Giribala Singh, who is booked in a case involving dowry harassment and the death of model-actress Twisha Sharma, her daughter-in-law.
First Additional Sessions Judge Ram Pratap Mishra, noting that the case diary contained sufficient material to indicate her involvement in the alleged offence and that the investigation was still in progress, denied her bail.
Twisha, a 33-year-old woman, was found dead at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on May 12. An FIR has been lodged under BNS Sections 80(2) (dowry death), 85 (cruelty) and 3(5) (common intention) and Sections 3 (giving or taking dowry) and 4 (demanding dowry) of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
The bail application stated that Singh has been in judicial custody since June 2, 2026. The counsel for the applicant stated that she is a reputable woman who has rendered 35 years of judicial service. The counsel further argued that it is improbable that she demanded dowry considering that she was serving as President of the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission while also receiving her late husband's pension.
Further, it was argued that she had been falsely implicated and that on the date of the incident, she had no interaction with the deceased. The applicant also claimed that she provided the second set of voice samples after the court's directions and that she had initially refused because she was ill.
The counsel appearing for the objector (parents of the deceased) argued that the applicant played a significant role in subjecting the deceased to mental cruelty. Further, it was argued that the applicant is an influential person owing to her present and her previous employment and therefore is likely to tamper with evidence or influence the prosecution witness if released on bail.
The Public Prosecutor appearing for the CBI contended that the mere fact that the applicant is a woman cannot by itself be a ground to grant her bail. Further, it was argued that the applicant appeared in good health on the video conferencing for her court's appearance.
Further, it was argued that the applicant's status and position cannot lead to the presumption that she could not have demanded dowry. The Public Prosecutor argued that the applicant was accused of a serious social offence and there is a probability of her tampering with the evidence if granted bail.
The court noted that the applicant was not suffering from any serious illness to justify the grant of bail. Further, the court noted that the offence alleged against the applicant is grave and punishable for imprisonment for life.
Background
CBI, which was handed over the case following the Supreme Court's intervention, has sought voice samples of both the accused to match them with the audio recordings purportedly recovered during its investigation.
Earlier, on May 29, the Bhopal court had sent the mother-son duo to CBI custody for 5 days. Thereafter, on June 2, they were sent to 14 days' judicial custody. The same was extended on June 16 for 14 days.
Samarth Singh was denied anticipatory bail in the case by the trial court. He had later approached the High Court, but withdrew the petition with permission to surrender.
The mother-in-law was granted anticipatory bail by the trial court on May 15, on the grounds that the FIR and WhatsApp chats were directly against her son. Aggrieved, the State as well as Twisha's parents moved the high court, which on May 27, quashed her anticipatory bail.
The Bhopal Court had on two occasions extended her judicial custody, one through an order of June 30 and another by order of July 14, 2026.
Case Title: Giribala Singh v State of Madhya Pradesh, BA/2338/2026
For Applicant: Advocate Inesh George Carlos
For CBI: Public Prosecutor Harinath Prasad
For Objector (parents): Advocate Ankur Pandey
