Twisha Sharma death case (File Photo)
NEW DELHI: A special court in Bhopal on Saturday rejected the bail plea of retired judge Giribala Singh, an accused in the alleged dowry death of former model and actor Twisha Sharma, observing that the charges against her were “serious.”Giribala Singh, Twisha’s mother-in-law, is accused in the case after the former model and actor was allegedly found hanging at her marital home in Bhopal on May 12. The retired judge and her son, Samarth Singh, were later arrested on charges of dowry-related harassment, mental abuse and domestic violence. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the case.The bail application was initially listed before Special Judge Neelam Shukla, who recused herself from hearing the matter.
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The case was then transferred to Special Judge Ram Pratap Mishra, who reserved the order on Friday after hearing arguments from both sides.Seeking bail on humanitarian grounds, the defence argued that Singh, an elderly woman with health issues, was not receiving adequate medical care in jail. It also submitted that her nearly 100-year-old mother depended on her for care.The defence further contended that Singh had cooperated with the investigation, suffered a burglary at her residence while in custody, and received a regular salary and a war widow’s pension, making the allegation of dowry demand implausible. Opposing the plea, the CBI argued that Singh’s gender alone could not justify bail, particularly when the deceased was also a woman. It pointed out that the Madhya Pradesh High Court had on May 27 quashed the anticipatory bail granted to her by a subordinate court in Bhopal.The agency also alleged that Singh had refused to provide her voice sample during the investigation, attempted to influence the probe by contacting a CCTV technician and a salon operator linked to the case, and sent a private representative to obtain CCTV footage.The CBI argued that her release could enable her to influence witnesses, tamper with evidence or hamper the ongoing investigation.After hearing both sides, the special court rejected Singh’s bail application.(With PTI inputs)
