BHOPAL: Nine days after the alleged dowry death of former model and actor Twisha Sharma, her absconding advocate husband Samarth Singh filed a petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s principal bench in Jabalpur seeking anticipatory bail in the case.
Twisha’s parents have also moved a petition seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted by a Bhopal Court on May 17 to Twisha’s mother-in-law and retired judge Giribala Singh.
Samarth and his mother Giribala are among the two main accused in the dowry death case.
"We’ve already moved a petition in the MP HC in Jabalpur for cancellation of Giribala's anticipatory bail, which was granted to her by the Bhopal Court, ignoring the established basic principles of law on May 17," said Ankur Pandey, the advocate for Twisha’s parents.
Pandey stated that they will also approach the HC seeking a second post-mortem examination of Twisha’s body at AIIMS-Delhi after a JMFC court in Bhopal on Wednesday turned down the plea citing jurisdictional limits.
"Thirdly, we will request the HC to order immediate preservation, protection, and forensic securing of all relevant call detail records (CDRs), tower location data, electronic communication records, internet usage logs, WhatsApp and digital metadata, and all other connected electronic evidence pertaining to dozens of mobile phone numbers," Pandey said.
The actor’s family is expected to object to Samarth’s anticipatory bail plea in the MP HC.
Importantly, since the Bhopal court rejected his anticipatory bail application on May 18 in the death case registered against him and his mother at Bhopal’s Katara Hills police station, Twisha’s husband Samarth Singh has been untraceable.
Bhopal Police commissioner Sanjay Kumar has increased the reward for information about Samarth, from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000.
MP government initiates probe against Twisha’s ex-judge mother-in-law Giribala Singh
Meanwhile, the state’s food, civil supplies and consumer protection department has initiated an enquiry against Twisha’s mother-in-law and former judge Giribala Singh, who is co-accused in the dowry death case, along with son Samarth.
Giribala Singh is currently the president of Bhopal-2 District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
The department has sought from the Registrar of MP State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, a detailed investigation report about Singh under the 2020 rules pertaining to qualification, appointment process, working tenure, removal/resignation from the post.
This move by the state government is being seen as the start of the process to remove Singh from the head of the quasi-judicial body in Bhopal.
Importantly, Twisha’s father Navnidhi Sharma had on Wednesday written to the state’s Governor Mangubhai C Patel to remove Twisha’s ex-judge mother-in-law Giribala Sharma as the president of the Commission, pending completion of investigation and connected proceedings arising out of the dowry death and harassment case registered against her and son Samarth on May 15 at Bhopal’s Katara Hills Police Station.
A District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC), or District Forum, is a quasi-judicial body that handles consumer grievances and disputes at the district level. It operates under the Consumer Protection Act to provide speedy, accessible, and cost-effective justice for consumer complaints.