Former judicial officer Giribala Singh argued in the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday that while she was upset with her late daughter-in-law Twisha Sharma’s decision to have an abortion, she did not drive her to suicide.
The submission was made before Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari during the hearing of Singh’s bail plea.
33-year-old Sharma was found dead at her marital home in Bhopal on May 12, just five months after marrying advocate Samarth Singh.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the probe, subsequently filed a 600-page charge sheet against Samarth and his mother Giribala Singh, alleging sustained psychological torture and charging them with abetment to suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Appearing for Giribala, her senior counsel argued that her reaction to the abortion was a natural expression of anger. Addressing text messages where Singh allegedly called Sharma a “murderer,” the counsel stated the remarks were made in the “heat of the moment” and were later followed by an apology.
The defence maintained that disagreement over pregnancy did not amount to criminal cruelty or abetment.
The CBI continues to investigate additional allegations of dowry demands as the High Court considers the bail plea.
