Giribala Singh’s bail plea has been argued before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, where the former district judge has said that she did not abet the suicide of her daughter-in-law Twisha Sharma and that an angry remark made over an abortion was said in the heat of the moment.
Jabalpur: Arguing her regular bail plea before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, former district judge Giribala Singh has said that she did not subject Twisha Sharma to cruelty or abet her suicide, and that the chats on record in which she called Sharma a murderer over an abortion reflect words spoken in the heat of the moment, for which she later apologised [Smt. Giribala Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh].
The plea is before Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari. The submissions summarised here are the defence’s contentions. The charges are allegations, they have not been tested at trial, the Court has expressed no view on the merits, and the accused are presumed innocent.
How the case reached here
Twisha Sharma was found hanging at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on May 12, about five months after her wedding. Her family alleged dowry-related harassment. Giribala Singh and her son Samarth Singh, an advocate, were named in the case, the Supreme Court took cognisance and the CBI took over the probe. The High Court cancelled the anticipatory bail earlier granted to Giribala Singh, and the CBI arrested her and her son. Both were sent to judicial custody after CBI custody ended on June 2, and both deny the allegations.
The CBI later filed a 636-page chargesheet in August invoking Sections 85, 108 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. It did not invoke Section 80(2) BNS (dowry death) or the Dowry Prohibition Act. A special CBI court in Bhopal declined her regular bail in September, citing the sensitive stage of the probe and the risk of influencing witnesses or evidence. On October 8, 2026, Justice Nirankari partly allowed an amendment of her bail plea, limited to the newly added Section 108 BNS allegation of abetment of suicide.
What the defence argued
Counsel for Giribala Singh told the Court that she was upset by Sharma’s decision to have an abortion but did not subject her to cruelty and did not abet her suicide. It was submitted that if she and her son had forced the abortion, that could have amounted to cruelty, but they did not. Counsel accepted that the chats show her calling Sharma a murderer, and argued that this was said in the heat of the moment and that she apologised afterwards.
The defence further argued that the chats point to the behaviour of Samarth Singh as a cause of Sharma’s distress, that Sharma was free to move around and had applied for a job in Delhi, and that bail should be granted because the offences alleged are punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years. Arguments for the defence were concluded on Monday, and no order on the plea has been announced.
The Supreme Court angle
The bail hearing is running alongside proceedings in the Supreme Court. On October 16, 2026, a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stayed the trial before the Bhopal Sessions Court and issued notice on a petition by Sharma’s father seeking transfer of the trial to Delhi. The reports of that hearing also record a direction that the bail applications be decided within two weeks. The CBI and the accused have been asked to respond to the transfer plea, and the stay on the trial remains in force until it is decided.
Case Title: Smt. Giribala Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh [Regular bail application]
Bench: Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari, Madhya Pradesh High Court
Date of Hearing: October 26, 2026
Appearances: Counsel for the applicant (arguments for the defence concluded)
If you or someone you know is struggling with distress or thoughts of self-harm, Tele-MANAS (14416), the government’s free mental health helpline, is available round the clock.