The Supreme Court on Friday declined to stay the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, who is accused of murdering her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Although the top court expressed concerns over the Meghalaya High Court’s decision, it noted that Sonam had already been released from judicial custody and decided not to interfere with the bail at this stage.
A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu issued a notice to Sonam Raghuvanshi and said it would review the progress of the trial before considering any further action. The matter is scheduled for its next hearing on July 9.
Why Did the Supreme Court Decline to Stay Sonam Raghuvanshi’s Bail?
The Meghalaya government challenged the Meghalaya High Court’s order that upheld Sonam Raghuvanshi’s bail. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, argued that the allegations involve a serious murder charge and that bail should not have been granted on what he described as technical grounds.
The Supreme Court acknowledged its reservations regarding the High Court’s reasoning but chose not to suspend the bail because Sonam had already been released from jail. Instead, the court said it would monitor the progress of the trial before taking a final view.
Pune Fort Murder Case Mentioned During Hearing
While opposing Sonam Raghuvanshi’s bail, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also referred to the Pune Fort murder case, in which Ketan Agarwal was allegedly murdered by his fiancée Siya Goyal and her alleged lover Chetan Chaudhary.
He argued that courts should exercise caution while granting bail in cases involving grave criminal allegations, particularly when the prosecution claims there is substantial evidence against the accused.
What Is the Raja Raghuvanshi Honeymoon Murder Case?
The case dates back to May last year, when Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raja Raghuvanshi, both residents of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, got married on May 11 and left for their honeymoon in Sohra (Cherrapunji), Meghalaya, on May 20.
The couple went missing three days later. On June 2, Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was recovered, triggering a high-profile murder investigation.
Sonam Raghuvanshi was arrested from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on June 9, while her alleged lover, Raj Singh Kushwaha, was also arrested later in connection with the case.
Why Was Sonam Raghuvanshi Granted Bail?
After spending nearly 10 months in judicial custody at Shillong District Jail, Sonam Raghuvanshi was granted bail by a trial court on April 27.
The trial court observed that the investigating agency had failed to properly communicate the legal grounds for her arrest. Several official documents—including the arrest memo, inspection memo, justification checklist, and case diary extract—incorrectly mentioned Section 403(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) instead of Section 103(1), which relates to the offence of murder.
The court ruled that the repeated error could not be dismissed as a simple clerical mistake because the documents failed to clearly inform the accused that she had been arrested on murder charges.
It also observed that the factual basis of the allegations was not properly communicated to Sonam at the time of her arrest.
Why Did the Meghalaya Government Challenge the Bail Order?
The Meghalaya government argued before the High Court that the incorrect legal provision mentioned in the arrest documents was merely a typographical error and had not caused any prejudice to the accused.
However, the Meghalaya High Court dismissed the state’s appeal, pointing out that the same mistake appeared repeatedly across multiple official documents.
Justice W. Diengdoh observed that parts of the arrest documents appeared to have been copied from standard templates without proper scrutiny. The court even noted that one document mistakenly described the accused as a deserter from the armed forces—an allegation entirely unrelated to the case.
The High Court concluded that the arrest records reflected a serious lack of application of mind by the investigating agency and failed to clearly communicate the charges against the accused.
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What Happens Next?
The Supreme Court has not cancelled Sonam Raghuvanshi’s bail for now. Instead, it has issued a notice and will continue hearing the Meghalaya government’s appeal on July 9.
The outcome of the upcoming hearing could determine whether Sonam continues to remain on bail or whether the Supreme Court decides to interfere with the orders passed by the lower courts.
BY JESSICA SABHARWAL
