CBI arrests former judge Giribala Singh in Twisha Sharma dowry case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested former district judge Giribala Singh in connection with the death of her daughter-in-law Twisha Sharma, a day after the Madhya Pradesh High Court quashed the anticipatory bail granted to her.

A CBI team questioned Singh at her residence in Bhopal’s Bag Mughaliya Extension area before taking her into custody, officials said.

Twisha’s husband, advocate Samarth Singh, is already in CBI custody in the case.

Officials said the agency plans to confront the two accused with each other’s statements and question them further regarding the circumstances leading to the death of the 33-year-old former model and actor.

The CBI is expected to produce Giribala Singh before a competent court to seek custodial remand.

The arrest came after the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday set aside the anticipatory bail granted to Singh earlier this month by a sessions court.

In a 17-page order, Justice Devnarayan Mishra observed that “in the light of the factual aspects of the case and the allegations levelled against the respondent (Giribala Singh)”, the anticipatory bail order deserved to be quashed.

The CBI formally took over the probe on Monday after re-registering the FIR initially filed by the Madhya Pradesh Police against Samarth Singh and his mother.

Twisha Sharma was allegedly found hanging at her marital home in Bhopal on 12 May.

According to the FIR, Samarth Singh brought Twisha to AIIMS-Bhopal claiming she had hanged herself at home around 10.20 pm.

Doctors at the hospital informed police shortly after midnight on 13 May that she had been brought dead and a medico-legal case was registered.

The postmortem report stated that the death was caused by “antemortem hanging by ligature”. It also noted “multiple antemortem injuries”, described as simple blunt-force injuries on other parts of the body.

Following the postmortem findings and statements recorded from Twisha’s family members, police registered an FIR on 15 May under provisions related to dowry harassment and cruelty.

Twisha’s family alleged that she was subjected to mental torture and domestic violence by her husband and in-laws, who they claimed were dissatisfied with the dowry provided during the marriage solemnised on 9 December 2025.

They alleged the sustained harassment pushed her to take the extreme step.

Giribala Singh, meanwhile, had publicly denied the allegations in multiple media interviews and raised questions about Twisha’s mental health and medical treatment before her death.

The case drew widespread attention after Twisha’s family sought a second postmortem and demanded an independent investigation, alleging procedural lapses in the initial probe.