Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder: SC refuses to revoke bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Friday issued a formal notice on a petition by the Meghalaya government challenging the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the sensational Raja Raghuvanshi honeymoon murder case. However, the top court declined to stay the High Court’s order because authorities have already released her from custody.

A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu directed Sonam Raghuvanshi to file a counter-affidavit and scheduled the matter for further hearing next Thursday.

“We have a reservation, prima facie, about the High Court order. We will see how the trial proceeds,” the Justice Sundresh-led Bench observed during the hearing. “The fact remains that she was informed about the grounds. In the earlier bail pleas, she did not raise this issue.”

State Claims “Wrong Precedent” Over Typographical Error

Appearing for the Meghalaya government, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta argued that the lower courts failed to consider relevant material. He asserted that investigators did, in fact, communicate the grounds of arrest to the accused.

SG Mehta informed the apex court that the trial has already commenced with more than 90 prosecution witnesses left to examine. He warned that the impugned judgment sets a “wrong precedent.”

The apex court acknowledged the state’s arguments but noted the practical reality of the situation. “Considering the submission that the order of bail has been given effect to, we are inclined to list the matter for further hearing on next Thursday,” the Bench stated, signalling its reluctance to revoke bail after the accused’s release.

Procedural Blunder Undermined the Prosecution

The Meghalaya government moved the apex court after the Meghalaya High Court upheld a Shillong court’s decision to grant Sonam bail on June 29, dismissing the state’s appeal.

High Court Justice W. Diengdoh had refused to interfere with the April 2026 bail order issued by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Judicial), Shillong, citing serious procedural lapses during the arrest.

The Shillong trial court previously found that investigating officers failed to properly communicate the exact grounds of arrest, which prejudiced Sonam’s defence. Every arrest document—including the arrest memo, justification checklist, inspection memo, and case diary extracts—mistakenly cited Section 403(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) instead of Section 103(1), which deals with murder.

While the prosecution argued that the error was merely a typographical slip, the trial court ruled that the consistent mistake meant authorities never formally informed Sonam she was being arrested for murder.

The Meghalaya government countered that this procedural lapse caused no actual prejudice to the accused, citing Supreme Court precedents that label such irregularities as curable defects.

The Honeymoon Plot

The case traces back to the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who travelled to Meghalaya with his newlywed wife, Sonam, for their honeymoon following their marriage in May 2025. Meghalaya Police later recovered Raja’s body from a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls.

The prosecution alleges that Sonam conspired with her lover and hired contract killers to execute her husband during the vacation. Following a full investigation, the police filed a chargesheet, and the trial is currently underway.