New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, while agreeing to examine the Meghalaya government’s challenge to the High Court order.
A bench of Justices expressed reservations over the Meghalaya High Court’s decision to uphold Sonam’s bail but declined to suspend the order, noting that she had already been released from jail and was complying with the conditions imposed by the trial court.
During the hearing, the Solicitor General argued that the allegations against Sonam should not have been granted bail on what he described as a technical ground. The state sought an immediate stay on the High Court’s order, but the apex court refused the request.
The bench observed that it had “prima facie” reservations about the manner in which the High Court dealt with the case. However, it also remarked that if bail had been granted solely because of a procedural lapse in communicating the grounds of arrest, the authorities were not barred from arresting the accused again after complying with the legal requirements.
The Supreme Court issued notice on the Meghalaya government’s petition challenging the bail order and posted the matter for further hearing after the court reopens. Sonam Raghuvanshi, a resident of Indore, was arrested in June 2025 in connection with the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. The newly married couple had travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon in May 2025 before they went missing. Raja’s body was later recovered from a deep gorge in Sohra, and investigators alleged that Sonam conspired with hired assailants to kill him for financial gain. She has denied the allegations.
The Meghalaya High Court had upheld the trial court’s decision granting bail to Sonam on June 29, prompting the state government to move the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the relief.
