High Court cancels anticipatory bail as CBI records 360-degree visuals of Giribala Singh’s Katara Hills home

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday moved rapidly after the Madhya Pradesh High Court cancelled anticipatory bail for retired judge Giribala Singh in the high-profile death of 22-year-old Twisha Sharma, officials and sources said, with investigators conducting detailed digital mapping of the accused’s house and questioning her at the residence. According to sources familiar with the probe, Giribala could be arrested any time.

Order and timing

The High Court’s 17-page order, issued late on Wednesday, set aside the anticipatory bail granted earlier by a trial court. The bench observed that given the seriousness of the allegations, the evidence on record and the present stage of the investigation, relief was not warranted. The court noted multiple injury marks on Twisha’s body and said the accused had not offered satisfactory explanations, according to a copy of the order made available to reporters.

CBI activity at scene

A CBI team reached Giribala Singh’s home in the Katara Hills area of Bhopal around 10.30 am on Thursday and began questioning her, officials said. Investigators installed a high-intensity 3D camera inside the residence to take precise measurements and record 360-degree visuals of the first floor and other areas, part of a broader effort to recreate the crime scene and preserve digital evidence.

“Teams are recording the internal layout, the heights of walls and vantage points that could help corroborate statements,” an official involved in the probe said on condition of anonymity. The visuals are being added to the case file as scientific evidence, the source added.

Sequence of events

Twisha, who was married in 2023, died on the night of May 12 and was taken to AIIMS Bhopal, where an initial post-mortem recorded hanging marks and other injuries, the court order said. Police seized mobile phones and a DVR from the house the same day. The trial court had earlier granted anticipatory bail after noting certain WhatsApp messages that primarily complained about the husband and financial transfers into Twisha’s account. That order has now been overturned following a deeper review by the High Court.

Allegations and evidence

Prosecutors and investigating agencies contend WhatsApp chats and statements from Twisha’s family indicate alleged mental harassment, pressure to abort a pregnancy and demands for dowry. The High Court flagged inconsistencies in the defence account and raised concerns about potential attempts to influence the probe, noting public statements that could have tarnished the deceased’s image.

The post-mortem, the court said, found injuries that could not be explained simply as marks sustained while cutting down a body, making custodial interrogation of key accused necessary. The CBI has also been examining call detail records, digital backups and CCTV footage, and is probing whether any footage was tampered with, officials said.

Custody and questioning

Twisha’s husband, Samarth Singh, remains in CBI remand until May 29 as investigators try to reconstruct his whereabouts on the night of May 12 and reconcile his statements with technical evidence. Sources said the agency is also tracing contacts he had while allegedly absconding and matching his movements with phone records and digital footprints.

Security and ground reaction

Security around Giribala’s home was tightened on Thursday, with additional police personnel deployed in the neighbourhood. Local residents and journalists gathered outside the house; a reporter from a Bhopal daily filed live updates as the CBI proceeded. In a brief sighting on Thursday morning, Giribala was seen outside feeding street dogs, one source said.

What happens next

With anticipatory bail vacated and the CBI actively recording and analysing scene visuals, officials say an arrest could follow if questioning and evidence review point to custodial needs. The agency is expected to seek formal remand if it decides to take Giribala into custody. Court filings and formal charges, if any, will determine the next legal steps.

Investigators stressed that the probe is ongoing and that conclusions will rely on the forensic, digital and circumstantial evidence being assembled. The CBI declined immediate comment; the High Court registry confirmed the order but did not offer further comment beyond the written judgment.

A devastating late-night fire destroyed an entire shop in Bhopal's Katara Hills — and residents say it didn't have to be this bad.

A massive fire broke out at a razai-gadda (quilt and mattress) shop in the Spring Valley area of Katara Hills, Bhopal, in the late hours of Thursday night, reducing the entire establishment to ash. Flames shot up to 20 feet in the air, lighting up the night sky and sending shockwaves through the neighbourhood. What has outraged residents even more than the fire itself is the fact that the fire brigade took nearly 45 minutes to arrive — by which time the shop was beyond saving.

How the Fire Broke Out

The shop is located adjacent to Shri Vrindavan Fast Food and Restaurant in Spring Valley, Katara Hills. The fire broke out late Thursday night, the exact cause of which is yet to be officially determined. Locals and passersby noticed the blaze rapidly spreading and immediately called the fire station for help. However, despite repeated calls, the fire engine did not arrive for approximately 45 minutes — a delay that eyewitnesses say sealed the shop's fate.

20-Foot Flames, Zero Response for 45 Minutes

The nature of the shop's stock — quilts, mattresses and foam-based bedding material — made the fire spread with alarming speed. Such material is highly flammable and feeds fire rapidly, making early intervention critical. With flames rising 20 feet into the air and the fire brigade nowhere in sight, locals could do little but watch helplessly as the Bhopal shop fire devoured everything inside.

Bystanders recorded the incident on video, capturing both the intensity of the fire and the absence of any official response during the critical first 45 minutes.

"The Vehicle Broke Down" — Fire Brigade's Shocking Excuse

When the fire engine finally arrived, eyewitnesses say the situation went from bad to worse. A woman present at the scene recounted that when the fire brigade vehicle finally reached Katara Hills, crew members declared the vehicle was malfunctioning. Firefighters were then seen scrambling to locate alternative resources and tools. By the time the vehicle was repaired and functional, and the fire was eventually brought under control, the entire shop had already been completely destroyed.

"They came late, and when they came, the vehicle was broken," the woman stated. "By the time they actually started fighting the fire, there was nothing left to save."

A System That Failed When It Mattered Most

This incident raises serious questions about the Bhopal fire brigade's operational readiness and response infrastructure. A 45-minute delay in reaching a fire in an active commercial and residential neighbourhood like Katara Hills is not a minor lapse — it is a systemic failure. Fire departments are required to respond within minutes, not quarters of an hour. The fact that the vehicle also malfunctioned on arrival suggests a deeper problem: poor maintenance, inadequate staffing, or both.

Katara Hills is one of Bhopal's rapidly growing residential and commercial zones, home to hundreds of shops and thousands of families. A compromised fire response system in such a densely populated area is a public safety emergency waiting to happen again.

What Must Be Investigated

The Bhopal Municipal Corporation and the fire department must answer key questions: Why did it take 45 minutes to reach the site? Was there only one operational vehicle available? Who is responsible for the maintenance failure? And critically — will the shop owner receive compensation for what was a preventable total loss?

At a time when Bhopal's urban infrastructure is expanding rapidly, the city's emergency services must keep pace. Last night's Katara Hills shop fire is a stark reminder that they have not.