The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday cancelled the anticipatory bail granted to retired judge Giribala Singh, mother-in-law of deceased Twisha Sharma, in the dowry death case registered following Sharma’s death.
Justice Devnarayan Mishra passed the order setting aside the anticipatory bail granted by the Sessions Court in Bhopal. The detailed order was made available late at night.
The High Court observed that material collected during investigation disclosed allegations not only against Sharma’s husband Samarth Singh but also against Giribala Singh. The Court took note of statements made by members of Sharma’s family as well as WhatsApp messages allegedly sent by Sharma before her death, which reportedly contained allegations against her mother-in-law.
The Court also referred to the post-mortem report, which recorded six additional ante-mortem injuries on Sharma’s body apart from the ligature mark. It noted that the medical opinion suggested that these injuries were sustained prior to death and were not caused while removing the body or during transportation to the hospital.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Twisha Sharma’s father, argued that the deceased’s parents had not been informed about the death before the inquest proceedings were conducted.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State government, contended that anticipatory bail had been granted by the Sessions Court in undue haste without adequate consideration of the allegations and surrounding circumstances. Concerns were also raised regarding media interactions by Giribala Singh following the grant of bail, with submissions that such statements could potentially influence witnesses and affect the investigation.
Advocate General Prashant Singh, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), also relied upon the post-mortem findings indicating ante-mortem injuries on Sharma’s body.
Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, appearing for Giribala Singh, opposed the plea for cancellation of bail and argued that there were no allegations necessitating custodial interrogation. It was also submitted that Singh, being a woman in her 60s, had cooperated with the investigation.
After considering the rival submissions and material placed on record, the High Court proceeded to quash the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh.