Bhopal: Bhopal court on Monday rejected the default bail application of Samarth Singh, an accused in the death case of his wife, Twisha Sharma, holding that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed its charge sheet within the statutory period.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shobhna Malave dismissed Singh’s plea under Section 187(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), rejecting his contention that the CBI had filed an incomplete charge sheet to defeat his right to default bail.
Singh was arrested on May 23 in the case, and the CBI filed its final report on August 17.
The defence argued that the investigation was still pending on several aspects, including examination of electronic evidence and forensic reports. Therefore, the filing could not be treated as a complete charge sheet.
The CBI opposed the plea, submitting that the charge sheet had been filed within the prescribed period and that the court had taken cognisance of the offences before committing the case to the Sessions Court.
The court also accepted the CBI’s contention that further investigation into aspects such as extraction of data from an iPhone, DVR footage and voice comparison could continue under the law and would not, by itself, render the charge sheet incomplete.
Counsel appearing for Twisha Sharma’s family, Ankur Pandey, opposed the default bail plea, submitting that the victim’s family had a right to be heard during bail proceedings.
He also argued that Singh had not sought default bail before the charge sheet was filed.
Twisha Sharma was found dead at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on May 12.
Singh was arrested after a case was registered at Katara Hills Police Station.
The investigation was subsequently transferred to the CBI following an order of the Supreme Court.
(IANS)
