BHOPAL: Former judge Giribala Singh, booked in connection with the alleged dowry death of her daughter-in-law Twisha Sharma, on Saturday claimed she was willing to record her statement but alleged that the Bhopal Police had not contacted her.Claiming there was chaos outside her residence due to the presence of media personnel, Singh said she was unable to step out of her home.Her remarks came a day after the Madhya Pradesh high court issued a notice on petitions seeking cancellation of her anticipatory bail and sought her response by May 25. Earlier this week, Bhopal Police had served a third and final notice to Singh after she allegedly failed to appear for questioning.“I cannot venture out of my home. Yesterday, a car hit my advocate. I cannot step out at all because of the situation outside,” Singh, who is also the chairperson of the Bhopal District Consumer Court, told news agency PTI over the phone.“I am willing to give my statement. I have been reaching out to the police and have also sent an email to the commissioner of police,” she said, adding that the police had assured her they would come to record her statement.Meanwhile, Samarth Singh, Twisha Sharma’s husband and a co-accused in the case, withdrew his anticipatory bail plea from the High Court on Friday before surrendering in a Jabalpur district court later in the evening. A Bhopal Police team subsequently took him into custody and left for the state capital.Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old model-turned-actor from Noida, was found hanging at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12. While her in-laws have alleged that she struggled with drug addiction, her family has accused them of dowry harassment, claiming it drove her to death.Following the incident, Bhopal Police registered an FIR against Samarth Singh and his mother Giribala Singh under Sections 80(2) (dowry death), 85 (cruelty by husband or relatives), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, along with provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.During a hearing on Friday, the Madhya Pradesh high court directed the state government to immediately arrange for a specialised team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, to travel to Bhopal for a second autopsy on Twisha’s body, according to the family’s counsel Akur Pandey.The state government, while seeking cancellation of Giribala Singh’s anticipatory bail, argued that she could potentially tamper with evidence and was not cooperating with the investigation.Legal experts have pointed out that under existing provisions, statements of women and minors can be recorded by police at their residences.Earlier, Bhopal Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar had said that Singh’s statement would be recorded at the earliest, adding that police officers were currently occupied with proceedings before the high court.
