The Supreme Court agreed to hear Meghalaya’s plea challenging bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of murdering her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon. The State argued she was likely to abscond, urging the Court to reconsider the bail order.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear tomorrow a plea filed by the State of Meghalaya challenging the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, described as the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta raised the State’s challenge before a Bench led by Justice M. M. Sundresh, and also comprising Justice Sheel Nagu. As per the Court’s website, Meghalaya filed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) yesterday evening.
“She is likely to abscond, twice bail was rejected noting this that she will abscond..” Solicitor General told the bench also comprising Justice Sheel Nagu.
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After the Meghalaya High Court upheld Sonam Raghuvanshi’s bail, Raja Raghuvanshi’s family announced that it would approach the Supreme Court to seek cancellation of her bail. The family also stated that it was dissatisfied with how the prosecution handled the case and that it would now engage a private lawyer to pursue the matter on its own.
What the Meghalaya High Court held
On June 29, 2026, the Meghalaya High Court dismissed the State’s appeal against the April 27, 2026 order of the Shillong Sessions Court granting bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi. While refusing to interfere with the bail decision, the High Court held that the police failed to effectively communicate the grounds of arrest to the accused, thereby violating constitutional safeguards available to every arrested person.
The Court observed:
“If this is the manner in which the intimation of the grounds of arrest is made, the same reflects a total non-application of judicious mind on the part of the arresting agency, which strikes at the root of the process of arrest of an accused person, leading this Court to come to the conclusion that the arrestee does have a strong case to contend that no such effective grounds have ever been intimated to her at the initial stage of her arrest.”
The High Court held that the arrest procedure violated Article 22(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees an arrested person’s right to be informed of the grounds of arrest and to consult a legal practitioner of their choice read together with Section 47(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which requires police to communicate the full particulars of the offence and the grounds of arrest at the time the person is taken into custody.
The High Court concluded that these procedural lapses went to the legality of the arrest process, and on that basis, the grant of bail was justified.
Background: the alleged Raja Raghuvanshi murder
The Sonam Raghuvanshi case, widely known as the Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder Case, concerns the alleged murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya in May 2025. His wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, along with four others, has been accused of conspiring to kill him. The case drew nationwide attention due to the alleged murder plot during the couple’s honeymoon and the subsequent investigation.
Raja and Sonam were married on May 11, 2025, and travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20. After visiting several tourist spots, they reached Nongriat village near Sohra (Cherrapunji). On May 23, they checked out of their homestay and were last seen together. Soon afterwards, both their mobile phones became unreachable, prompting their families to alert the police.
The investigation intensified after the couple’s rented scooter was found abandoned on May 24. On June 2, Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was recovered from a deep gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls in Sohra. The injuries on his body indicated that it was a case of homicide, leading the Meghalaya Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Initially treated as a missing person, Sonam was traced and arrested from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on June 9, 2025. According to the Meghalaya Police, she had allegedly conspired with Raj Kushwaha, who was said to be her close associate, to murder Raja. The police alleged that Raj, along with three hired assailants, executed the plan during the honeymoon. The prosecution’s case is based on CCTV footage, call detail records, digital evidence, witness statements, forensic findings, and other material collected during the investigation.
Sonam’s family has denied the allegations and initially sought a CBI probe, claiming she had been falsely implicated. However, her brother later publicly stated that he believed the evidence pointed to her involvement and expressed support for Raja Raghuvanshi’s family.
After the filing of the chargesheet, Sonam sought bail. In April 2026, a Shillong court granted her bail, observing procedural lapses in her arrest. The Meghalaya High Court later upheld the order. The criminal trial is currently pending, and the allegations against Sonam and the other accused are yet to be adjudicated. Under Indian law, all accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court.
Case Title: STATE OF MEGHALAYA vs. SMTI. SONAM RAGUVANSHI @ BITTI @ BITTU
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