The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday quashed the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh, the mother-in-law of deceased Twisha Sharma, in a high-profile case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Justice Devnarayan Mishra set aside the May 15 order of a Bhopal sessions court that had granted anticipatory bail to the former district judge in a case registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to cruelty and dowry, along with sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
High Court's Observations
The High Court ruled that the trial court failed to adequately consider material available in the case diary, witness statements, and allegations made by the deceased's family while granting relief. The court observed that statements recorded from Twisha Sharma's family members since May 13 contained allegations that Giribala Singh, along with her son, had allegedly harassed the deceased and pressured her to terminate her pregnancy. It also noted that WhatsApp chats and postmortem findings, including multiple ante-mortem injuries, required deeper investigation.
Non-Cooperation and Custodial Interrogation
The High Court took note of submissions by the prosecution and CBI that the accused had allegedly not cooperated fully with the investigation despite notices and that custodial interrogation could be necessary given the serious nature of allegations and the stage of the probe. Concluding that relevant facts had not been properly appreciated, the court quashed the anticipatory bail order and allowed the petitions challenging it. The CBI is likely to take her into custody for further investigations.
