Retired judge Giribala Singh. File
| Photo Credit: A.M. FARUQUI
A special court in Bhopal on Saturday (July 25, 2026) rejected the bail plea of retired judge Giribala Singh, an accused in the dowry death case of the late model and actor Twisha Sharma, holding that the charges against her were serious.
Ms. Singh was the mother-in-law of Twisha, who was allegedly found hanging at her marital home here on May 12. Ms. Singh and her son Samarth Singh were later arrested on charges of dowry-related harassment, mental abuse and domestic violence.
The Central Bureau of Investigation was investigating the case.
The bail application was initially listed before Special Judge Neelam Shukla, who recused herself from hearing the matter. The case was later transferred to the court of Special Judge Ram Pratap Mishra, where detailed arguments were heard.
The court had reserved its order on Friday (July 24) after hearing arguments from the prosecution and the defence.
The defence sought bail on humanitarian grounds, contending that Ms. Singh was an elderly woman suffering from health issues and was not receiving adequate medical care in jail.
It also submitted that Ms. Singh’s nearly 100-year-old mother depended on her for care.
The defence further argued that Ms. Singh had cooperated with the investigation, suffered a burglary at her residence while she was in custody, and received a regular salary and a war widow’s pension, making the dowry demand allegation implausible.
The CBI opposed the plea, arguing that being a woman alone could not be a ground for granting bail, particularly when the deceased was also a woman.
The Central agency submitted that the Madhya Pradesh High Court had, on May 27, quashed the anticipatory bail granted to Ms. Singh by a subordinate court in Bhopal.
The CBI also told the court that she had refused to provide her voice sample during the investigation.
Ms. Singh had attempted to influence the investigation by contacting a CCTV technician and a salon operator connected with the case and had sent a private representative to obtain CCTV footage, the CBI said while opposing the bail plea.
The agency expressed apprehension that if was released on bail, the accused could influence witnesses, tamper with evidence or hamper the ongoing investigation.
After hearing both sides, the special court rejected Ms. Singh’s bail application.
Published – July 25, 2026 10:30 pm IST
