The Madhya Pradesh High Court denied former judge Giribala Singh bail after considering the allegations, digital and CCTV evidence, post-mortem findings and the pending forensic examination of Twisha Sharma’s phone and the home video recorder.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has rejected former district judge Giribala Singh’s bail plea in connection with the alleged suicide of her daughter-in-law, Twisha Sharma, citing the ongoing investigation and pending forensic reports, news agency PTI reported.
Singh, 64, faces allegations of abetment to suicide and dowry harassment following the death of Sharma, a former model and actor. The case was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
A single-judge Bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari passed the order after the defence and prosecution concluded their arguments on October 26. The order was uploaded late on Wednesday, advocate Anurag Shrivastava, who represents Sharma’s family, told PTI.
Refusing bail to Singh, Justice Nirankari said: “Considering the overall facts and circumstances of the case, the nature and gravity of the allegations, the material collected during investigations, the circumstances immediately preceding the death of the deceased, the CCTV footage, the post-mortem reports and…this court is not inclined to enlarge the applicant on bail at this stage.”
Sharma married Singh’s son, advocate Samarth Singh, on December 9, 2025, after meeting him on an online dating application earlier that year.
In its 23-page order, the court said digital transcripts, WhatsApp conversations showing severe mental distress and suffocation, the sequence of events on the night of Sharma’s death and the subsequent conduct of the accused required a thorough trial.
According to the prosecution, Sharma faced continuous mental cruelty, surveillance and harassment over her professional background. Tensions intensified after she underwent a medical termination of pregnancy in April 2026 following disputes over her husband’s alleged drug addiction and questions over paternity.
On the night of May 12, 2026, Sharma was found hanging at her matrimonial home. She was taken to AIIMS Bhopal, where she was declared dead on arrival. Two post-mortem examinations, including one conducted by a medical board at AIIMS New Delhi, found that she died of asphyxia caused by hanging before death and that the death was suicidal.
Senior counsel representing Singh, who was arrested towards the end of May, argued that she was innocent. The defence said the electronic communications primarily showed Sharma’s grievances against Singh’s son. It also submitted medical records which, it said, indicated that Sharma had depression linked to personal substance use. The defence further said the family had transferred Rs 7.5 lakh to Sharma’s account.
Citing Supreme Court rulings, the defence argued that clear intent to assist or encourage suicide was necessary to establish abetment and that harassment alone was not sufficient. It also said Singh was 64, had fully cooperated with the investigation and posed no risk of fleeing.
Opposing bail, lawyers for the CBI, the Madhya Pradesh government and Sharma’s family presented digital evidence, including WhatsApp messages she had sent hours before her death. The records detailed allegations of physical aggression by her husband following disputes over domestic matters and pressure to transfer equity investments to a foreign financial scheme.
The prosecution also relied on CCTV footage from the premises that showed the sequence of events involving family members shortly before and after the incident.
Justice Nirankari said intent could not be considered in isolation at the bail stage, particularly in view of the digital transcripts reflecting severe mental distress and the sequence of events.
The court noted that key reports from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in New Delhi were still awaited. These included data extracted from Sharma’s mobile phone and digital video recorders. It said granting bail would be inappropriate at this stage.
