The Madhya Pradesh High Court has rejected the bail application of former judge Giribala Singh, mother-in-law of Twisha Sharma, whose death is being investigated by the CBI. A single-judge bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari passed the order on October 26, observing that the question of criminal intent could not be examined in isolation from other evidence gathered during the investigation.

 

The court said important forensic and digital reports were still awaited. The court considered WhatsApp conversations between Twisha and her mother and sister-in-law. In a May 9 chat, Twisha allegedly said her husband, Samarth Singh, had questioned the paternity of their child and discussed abortion. In a May 11 conversation, she reportedly described feeling trapped at her marital home and mentally distressed. The court said the exchanges indicated her state of mind and alleged harassment before her death. According to the case diary, Twisha had booked a train ticket to visit her parental home in Nasirabad on May 12. She had also allegedly accused her husband of pressuring her to transfer an investment of Rs 20 lakh into a joint account. Between 9.20 pm and 10.05 pm that night, she called family members while crying and complained about her husband’s alleged violent behaviour. CCTV footage reportedly showed Giribala Singh walking towards the terrace at 10.23 pm, followed by Samarth.

 

Twisha was later seen being brought downstairs. She was declared dead at AIIMS Bhopal at 10.55 pm. Postmortem reports by medical boards at AIIMS Bhopal and AIIMS Delhi attributed the cause of death to asphyxia due to hanging. However, the forensic report on data extracted from Twisha’s iPhone and the examination of the house’s digital video recorder are still awaited. The court also said alleged contacts with influential people after the incident required investigation. Giribala Singh’s counsel argued that there were no direct allegations against her and that she had deposited Rs 7.5 lakh into Twisha’s account. The CBI and Twisha’s family opposed bail, citing the chats, CCTV footage and other evidence. Considering the seriousness of the allegations and the stage of the investigation, the court declined to grant bail. Singh has been in judicial custody since June 2, 2026.