Mother-in-law denies prompting daughter-in-law's suicide in Bhopal abortion dispute
Giribala Singh told the Madhya Pradesh High Court she did not cause Twisha Sharma's suicide despite anger over the abortion.
During a bail hearing at the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Giribala Singh, a former judicial officer and mother-in-law of Twisha Sharma, asserted she never compelled Sharma to commit suicide, despite expressing displeasure over Sharma’s decision to have an abortion. The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the probe, has charged Singh and Sharma’s husband, lawyer Samarth Singh, with sustained mental torture and abetment of suicide, and is also examining alleged dowry demands.
Singh’s counsel told Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari that any remarks calling Sharma a "murderer" were made in the heat of the moment and later regretted. The charge sheet cites violations of sections 85, 108 and 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Sharma was found dead at her Bhopal home on May 12, five months after marrying Samarth. The investigation remains open.
Why it matters
The case underscores domestic abuse, reproductive rights and legal accountability in India.
In this story
