Twisha Sharma Death Case: Madhya Pradesh High Court Quashes Anticipatory Bail of Retired Judge Giribala Singh

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has quashed the anticipatory bail granted to retired Bhopal district judge Giribala Singh in the Twisha Sharma dowry harassment and death case, clearing the way for her possible arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The order, passed late on Thursday night by a Single Bench of Justice Devnarayan Mishra, overturned a Bhopal Sessions Court decision dated May 15 that had granted Singh pre-arrest bail shortly after an FIR was filed. Singh, along with her son Samarth Singh, Twisha Sharma’s husband, has been booked in connection with the case.

The High Court heard petitions filed by Twisha’s father, Navnidhi Sharma, and by the Madhya Pradesh Government, both challenging the bail order. The State argued that the lower court had granted relief without properly considering the prosecution’s case or the gravity of the allegations. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the manner in which the bail was obtained raised doubts about whether the trial court had examined the relevant facts. He also said Singh had made public statements after getting bail, shown no remorse, and failed to cooperate with investigators.

In its observations, the High Court referred to the postmortem findings and noted that Twisha had multiple injuries on her body, including four on her left arm, one on a finger, and one on her head. The court said the head injury was antemortem, meaning it was sustained before death. It also observed that these injuries were not caused while removing the body from hanging or transporting it to the hospital. The court said the trial court had not adequately considered the allegations made by the victim’s family while granting anticipatory bail.

The order specifically quashed the anticipatory bail dated May 15, 2026, granted by the 10th Additional Sessions Judge, Bhopal, for offences under Sections 80(2), 85 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.

The CBI, which took over the case from the Bhopal Police SIT on May 25, supported the request to cancel the bail. Its counsel said custodial interrogation of Singh may be necessary because the case is still at an early stage, the circumstances surrounding Twisha’s death remain unclear, and there are allegations of non-cooperation by the accused. The agency also told the court that Singh’s sister, a private doctor in Bhopal, and another private doctor were present in the postmortem room during the first autopsy at AIIMS Bhopal on May 13.

The CBI further said the accused had not explained several injuries found on Twisha’s body. Separately, on Wednesday, a local court transferred the custody of Samarth Singh to the CBI after he was arrested by Bhopal Police on May 22. A CBI team later took him to the couple’s residence to inspect the house where Twisha was found dead on the night of May 12.