The Madhya Pradesh High Court has rejected the regular bail application of former judicial officer Giribala Singh in the case concerning the death of her daughter-in-law, Twisha Sharma, at her matrimonial home in Bhopal. Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari held that the allegations, WhatsApp conversations, CCTV footage and pending forensic reports required further examination before the applicant could be considered for release on bail.
Background
The case arose from the death of Twisha Sharma, who married Samarth Singh on December 9, 2025. According to the prosecution, following the marriage, Twisha was allegedly subjected to mental harassment by her husband, with his mother, Giribala Singh, also accused of instigating him and contributing to the alleged cruelty.
The prosecution further alleged that disputes arose over Twisha's pregnancy, her decision to terminate it and financial matters involving her investments. On May 12, 2026, Twisha was found hanging at her matrimonial home and was subsequently declared dead at AIIMS, Bhopal.
The CBI registered a case involving allegations under Sections 80(2), 85, 108 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
Giribala Singh, who has been in custody since June 2, 2026, approached the High Court seeking regular bail.
Appearing for Giribala Singh, senior counsel argued that there was insufficient material connecting her directly with the alleged harassment. The defence also disputed the dowry allegations and submitted that the applicant had cooperated with the investigation, including providing her voice sample.
The CBI, State and counsel representing the deceased's family opposed bail. They relied on WhatsApp conversations in which Twisha allegedly described her distress and sought help from her family shortly before her death.
The prosecution also highlighted CCTV footage showing Giribala Singh and Samarth Singh moving towards the terrace on the night of the incident. It further pointed out that forensic examination of the CCTV recordings and extraction of data from Twisha's iPhone were still pending.
After examining the case diary, Justice Nirankari noted that the WhatsApp conversations dated May 9 and 11, 2026, prima facie reflected the mental distress allegedly experienced by Twisha.
The Court also considered her communications on May 12, when she reportedly informed family members that she wanted to return to her parental home. Shortly before the incident, she allegedly contacted her sister-in-law and parents, expressing fear and describing her husband's conduct.
Observing the significance of the material, the Court stated:
"The allegations and the respective roles of the accused persons require further investigation and careful examination during trial."
The Court also declined to examine the defence argument concerning the absence of intention to abet suicide in isolation from the other circumstances.
It observed:
"At this stage, the contention regarding absence of mens rea cannot be considered in isolation from the other circumstances emerging from the case diary."
The High Court noted that the second post-mortem examination conducted by an AIIMS, New Delhi, Medical Board had also attributed the cause of death to asphyxia resulting from antemortem hanging.
However, the Court emphasised that important investigative aspects remained unresolved. These included the extraction of data from Twisha's iPhone, forensic examination of CCTV recordings and the circumstances surrounding certain communications allegedly made by the applicant after the incident.
Considering the gravity of the allegations, the available material and the ongoing investigation, the Court concluded:
"Considering the overall facts and circumstances of the case, the nature and gravity of the allegations, the material collected during investigation, the circumstances immediately preceding the death of the deceased, the CCTV footage, the post-mortem reports and, particularly, the fact that further investigation under Section 193(9) of the BNSS is still in progress and important forensic reports and digital extraction reports are awaited, this Court is not inclined to enlarge the applicant on bail at this stage."
Accordingly, the Madhya Pradesh High Court rejected Giribala Singh's regular bail application.
Case Details
- Case Title: Smt. Giribala Singh v. The State of Madhya Pradesh
- Case Number: Misc. Criminal Case No. 37723 of 2026
- Judge: Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari
- Decision Date: October 26, 2026
