Who is Twisha Sharma’s mother-in-law Giribala Singh, and how does her background make this case extraordinary?

BHOPAL: Giribala Singh, a retired district judge who once served in Bhopal’s district and sessions court, is now at the centre of the Twisha Sharma death case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The 63-year-old was arrested by the CBI on Thursday, a day after the Madhya Pradesh high court quashed the anticipatory bail granted to her in the case involving allegations of dowry harassment, cruelty and dowry death.

According to official records, Singh served in the district and sessions court in Bhopal from July 15, 2021, to February 28, 2023.

The case has drawn national attention not only because of the allegations surrounding the death of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, but also because it involves a former judge and her lawyer son, leading to proceedings before the Madhya Pradesh high court and the Supreme Court.

Twisha Sharma, a Noida resident and communications manager with a German company, married Bhopal-based lawyer Samarth Singh in December 2025. On May 12, she was found dead at her marital home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area. Her in-laws claimed she died by suicide, while her family alleged dowry harassment, domestic violence and foul play.

An FIR was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to dowry death and cruelty by husband or relatives of husband, along with provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

Twisha’s family repeatedly referred to Singh’s judicial background while questioning the investigation process. At a press conference on May 20, Twisha’s brother Major Harshit Sharma alleged that the first call to police after the incident was made by his family and not Twisha’s in-laws. “Being a judge, her mother-in-law knew the legal process and had all the access but did not make the call,” he said.

The family also alleged that police took three days to register the FIR, during which Giribala Singh secured anticipatory bail from a Bhopal sessions court. The state government later challenged that relief before the Madhya Pradesh high court.

During hearings before the high court and Supreme Court, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Madhya Pradesh government, alleged that Singh was not cooperating with investigators despite repeated notices.

The state government also alleged before the high court that she had tried to “tinker with evidence” and had contacted “influential people” and “CCTV technicians” within hours of Twisha’s death.

While hearing the matter after taking suo motu cognisance, the Supreme Court observed that a “narrative” was being created that the judiciary was not permitting a fair trial because the case involved allegations against a former district judge and her lawyer son.

On Wednesday, the Madhya Pradesh high court quashed the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh. Justice Devnarayan Mishra observed that the trial court had failed to adequately consider material available in the case diary, witness statements and allegations made by the deceased’s family while granting relief.

The high court noted that statements recorded from Twisha Sharma’s family members since May 13 contained allegations that Giribala Singh and her son had allegedly harassed the deceased and pressured her to terminate her pregnancy. It also referred to WhatsApp chats and postmortem findings, including multiple ante-mortem injuries, while observing that the material required deeper investigation.

Her son Samarth Singh is already in CBI custody in connection with the case.