BHOPAL: In a significant development in the alleged dowry death case of actor-model Twisha Sharma, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has quashed the anticipatory bail granted to retired judge Giribala Singh, following which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took her into custody after hours of questioning in Bhopal.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday took retired judge Giribala Singh into custody from her residence in Bhopal after nearly five hours of questioning in connection with the alleged dowry death of her daughter-in-law Twisha Sharma.
The 63-year-old former judge was taken into custody from her Bagmugaliya Extension (Katara Hills) residence at around 5.20 pm after sustained questioning by the CBI team.
She was later moved in a white SUV to a camp office reportedly set up within the premises of a government engineering college in Bhopal.
Officials said the agency had informed the Bhopal District and Sessions Court about taking Singh into custody. She is expected to be produced before the competent court on Friday for remand proceedings.
The development came a day after the Madhya Pradesh High Court quashed the anticipatory bail granted to Singh by a Bhopal sessions court on May 15, observing lapses in the trial court’s order and pointing to the stage of investigation and necessity for custodial interrogation.
Singh is co-accused in the case along with her younger son and Twisha’s husband, Samarth Singh, who is already in CBI custody till Friday. The agency is expected to interrogate and cross-examine the mother-son duo together.
Earlier in the day, two CBI teams visited Singh’s residence. One team comprising technical and forensic experts reached the house at around 10.30 am for crime scene mapping and forensic analysis, while another team of women officers arrived later at around 12.30 pm.
The 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, an actor-model, was found dead by hanging on the terrace of her matrimonial home in Bhopal on May 12, less than six months after her marriage to Bhopal-based advocate Samarth Singh on December 9, 2025.
A case of dowry death, harassment and cruelty was registered against Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh on May 15 at Katara Hills police station.
An SIT was initially formed by Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar before the investigation was handed over to the CBI following a recommendation by the state government after demands from Twisha’s parents and her Army officer brother. The CBI re-registered the case on May 25.
Twisha’s post-mortem was conducted at AIIMS-Bhopal on May 13. A second autopsy, carried out by a team of doctors from AIIMS-Delhi at AIIMS-Bhopal on the orders of the High Court on May 23, has not yet yielded its report.
Earlier, in its detailed 17-page judgment quashing the anticipatory bail, the High Court observed concerns over non-cooperation during the investigation and the need for custodial interrogation.
It stated that several notices were issued to Singh for recording her statement and cooperating with the probe.
It further noted allegations made by the deceased’s family against both Singh and her son, stating that harassment and pressure related to pregnancy had been alleged.
The court also referred to digital evidence, saying, “As per the report of the May 13 postmortem (first postmortem at AIIMS-Bhopal), the death was due to antemortem hanging by ligature but from the postmortem, it is also clear that six other injuries were found in the body of the deceased in which four injuries were on the left arm, one in ring finger and one on the head and that was antemortem. From the query report, it is also clear that these injuries were not caused due to taking out the body from the ligature or carrying out to the hospital.”
Another major issue mentioned before the Court was the alleged leaking of selective CCTV footage to the media and social platforms.
The prosecution argued that while police had already seized CCTV footage from the house, selective clips were allegedly circulated publicly in a manner that could amount to tampering with evidence and an attempt to influence public perception.
Adding to the allegations, Twisha’s father Navnidhi Sharma, through his counsel, told the High Court that Giribala Singh used her expertise in crime scene management and related training to tamper with evidence.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra submitted before the court that, “Giribala Singh is a retired Judicial Officer and obtained the training of Special Courses on Cyber Crimes, Cyber Forensic & Digital Signature Technology and Crime Scene Management and used her skills to tamper the crime scene and in those circumstances.”
Counsel for the petitioner also relied on WhatsApp chats and statements alleging that Twisha had informed her family about harassment, pressure regarding her pregnancy, and financial demands, while the state government, opposing the anticipatory bail, maintained that there were allegations of dowry demand, harassment, and coercion including concerns over Twisha’s pregnancy and character.
In response, defence counsel denied the allegations, arguing that there was no material linking Giribala Singh directly to harassment or cruelty beyond allegations relating primarily to her son, Samarth Singh.
