The Madhya Pradesh government has approached the High Court seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to retired district judge Giribala Singh, the mother-in-law of deceased model and actor Twisha Sharma.
The govt also accused her of tampering with evidence, leaking CCTV footage to social media, and repeatedly evading investigators, The Indian Express reported.
In its petition, the state alleged that the sessions court had granted anticipatory bail to Giribala Singh "in a very mechanical manner without going through the prosecution evidence," despite what it described as "crystal clear allegations" emerging from WhatsApp chats between Twisha and her parents.
ALSO READ | Madhya Pradesh Govt Seeks CBI Probe Into Twisha Sharma Death Case
"A bare reading of the WhatsApp chats would reveal the grave extent to which the deceased was continuously tortured by them," the state said, referring to both Giribala Singh and her son Samarth Singh, Twisha's husband.
Central to the state's case is the handling of CCTV footage from the house where Twisha was found dead on May 12.
While police had seized the footage on May 13 as part of the investigation, the government alleged that Giribala Singh had separately retained copies and later "strategically leaked selected small clips on social media in a manner to tamper with prosecution evidence and obstruct investigation."
The petition further alleged a pattern of deliberate non-cooperation. According to the Indian Express, police issued notices to Giribala Singh on May 13 and 14 directing her to appear for questioning — she did not comply.
A WhatsApp notice sent on May 20 was seen but went unanswered, and when an officer visited her residence on May 21, domestic help turned them away. The state argued she was "blatantly violating the terms and conditions of her anticipatory bail."
The government also alleged that despite the police outpost being barely 100 metres from her home, Giribala Singh and her son chose to take Twisha directly to AIIMS Bhopal without informing police — directly resulting in tampering with the crime scene.
The state further alleged that Twisha had been pressured to terminate a one-month pregnancy in the first week of May, just days before her death. Medical evidence, the petition noted, "clearly establishes injuries over other parts of her body and a ligature mark over her neck."
The Madhya Pradesh government has since recommended transferring the case to the CBI.
The investigation, now among the most closely watched in the state, has come to encompass allegations of dowry death, forensic manipulation, and the extraordinary spectacle of a retired judicial officer accused of actively subverting the very system she once served.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
