No VIP Perks For Accused In Twisha Sharma Case, Say Jail Officials

In the high-profile Twisha Sharma death case, where every move of the accused is under public scrutiny, fresh allegations of VIP treatment inside Bhopal Central Jail have triggered another storm. 

But top sources at Prison Headquarters have now categorically denied the charges, insisting that retired judge Giribala Singh and her son Samarth Singh are being kept strictly as per jail rules and court directives.

The denial comes amid claims that the former judge and her lawyer son were being given special facilities in prison after being sent to 14-day judicial custody in the CBI-investigated case.

Prison Headquarters sources said there is no VIP treatment, no special meeting room and no extraordinary facility being extended to either of the accused.

According to senior prison sources, Samarth Singh, Twisha's husband, is lodged in Barrack 4 and is being treated like other undertrial prisoners. "There is no separate room for meetings. There is no VIP arrangement," a top source said, rejecting allegations that the accused were being given privileged access inside the jail.

In Giribala Singh's case, officials said her placement inside the women's wing was guided by security and court directions, not privilege. She has been shifted to Section A of the women's wing, where one of the eight barracks is meant for elderly or somewhat infirm inmates who require observation. Prison sources said she was kept there because the court had directed that she be kept secure and segregated.

The jail administration, however, is on high alert not because of VIP comfort, officials insist, but because of security risk.

The most striking reason is this: 29 individuals whom Giribala Singh had sentenced during her tenure as a judge are currently lodged in the same prison. Giribala had served as a judge at the Bhopal District Court from July 15, 2021, to February 28, 2023. Officials say this makes her security inside the prison a sensitive matter.

Additional guards have therefore been deployed and CCTV coverage has been increased. Prison sources maintain that these steps are preventive and security-driven, not preferential.

The controversy has also reached the administrative machinery inside the jail. Sources said Priyanka has now been given charge in the women's section, while the previous ward in-charge Jaya Yadav has been moved to the warrant section. However, Prison Headquarters described this as a routine administrative transfer and not the result of any formal inquiry.

Sources further clarified that there is no formal probe or report at the DIG level. The concerned official was merely asked to inspect the situation because Bhopal, Gwalior and Chambal jails fall under his jurisdiction. The Additional IG is also visiting the jail daily, given the sensitivity of the case.

On the issue of food and other facilities, Prison Headquarters said all amenities are being provided strictly as per prison rules. Officials said any inmate can access items from the jail canteen by following the prescribed procedure, and the same rules apply to Giribala and Samarth.

The denials come at a time when the Twisha Sharma death case has become one of Madhya Pradesh's most closely watched criminal investigations. Twisha Sharma, a former model-actress, died under suspicious circumstances at her matrimonial home in Bhopal. The case, initially handled by local police, is now being investigated by the CBI.

The agency has already interrogated both Samarth Singh and Giribala Singh during custody. After the questioning, both were sent to judicial custody and lodged in Bhopal Central Jail.