CBI conducts 3D scan at ex-judge Giribala Singh’s home in daughter-in-law Twisha’s death case

Bhopal: A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday carried out a 3D scanning of the Bhopal residence of retired judge Giribala Singh as part of its probe into the death of her daughter-in-law Twisha Sharma.

The CBI team, backed by heavy police force, reached Giribala Singh’s house in Katara Hills around 10:30 A.M. Local police barricaded the area and restricted public movement during the operation.

The action came a day after the Madhya Pradesh High Court cancelled the anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh in the case.

Actress Twisha Sharma was found dead at her matrimonial home on May 12.

Soon after the incident, Giribala Singh had approached a Bhopal sessions court seeking pre-arrest bail, which was granted on May 15 by the Additional Sessions Judge.

However, in a 17-page order passed on Wednesday, the Madhya Pradesh High Court quashed the anticipatory bail order, observing that the trial court had failed to properly examine crucial material facts and evidence placed before it.

Vacation judge Devnarayan Mishra noted that WhatsApp chats and statements given by Twisha’s family members indicated that the allegations were not limited only to Twisha’s husband, Samarth Singh.

“From the WhatsApp chats also, it cannot be said that the allegations are only against Samarth Singh,” the High Court observed, while stating that several important aspects were overlooked while granting relief to Giribala Singh.

The High Court said the allegations against her required deeper scrutiny under Sections 80(2), 85 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

The court also referred to allegations made by Twisha’s family that both Giribala Singh and her son, Samarth Singh, allegedly harassed Twisha for dowry and pressured her to terminate her pregnancy.

While the postmortem report stated that the cause of death was antemortem hanging by ligature, the High Court noted that six-seven additional injuries were found on Twisha’s body, including injuries on her left arm, finger and head.

The court observed that a subsequent query report clarified that these injuries were not caused during the removal of the body from the ligature or while shifting her to hospital, raising further questions surrounding the circumstances leading up to her death.

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for Twisha’s father argued that Giribala Singh, being a retired judicial officer trained in cyber forensics and crime scene management, may have used her expertise to tamper with the crime scene.

Madhya Pradesh Advocate General, Prashant Singh, who represented the state government in the case, talking to IANS on Thursday said, “A detailed hearing was held yesterday in the matter. The main points considered by the High Court include that seven anti-mortem injuries were found on Twisha Sharma’s body, indicating the seriousness of the case. Secondly, several notices were issued by the investigating team, but the required cooperation was not provided by Giribala Singh.”

The CBI is likely to arrest Giribala Singh anytime soon, sources said.

IANS