The Supreme Court on Friday declined to send Sonam Raghuvanshi back to prison after learning that she had already been released on bail in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case, even as it expressed serious reservations about the reasoning adopted by the Meghalaya High Court while granting her relief.
A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu heard the appeal filed by the Meghalaya government against the order dated June 29 passed by the Meghalaya High Court granting bail to Sonam, who is the main accused in the case of the alleged murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi.
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“Prima facie, we would have stayed the order of bail, but since she has already been released, we would not want to intervene,” the bench observed while issuing notice to Sonam and posting the matter for further hearing on July 9.
SC questions Meghalaya HC’s reasoning
Representing the Meghalaya government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the case involved a “shocking” and “premeditated” murder and that the high court had erred in granting bail on the basis of what he described as a typographical error in the arrest documents.
According to Mehta, Sonam had travelled to Meghalaya with three alleged accomplices, participated in the murder of her husband and later absconded before being arrested in Uttar Pradesh.
The state argued that the bail order was based on an error where Section 403 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was mentioned instead of Section 103, which deals with murder.
The Supreme Court appeared to agree that the high court’s approach raised important legal questions.
“Prima facie, we have our reservations on how the high court dealt with the matter,” Justice Sundresh observed during the hearing.
Court cites presumption of innocence
Despite expressing concerns over the bail order, the Supreme Court said it was conscious of the legal implications of sending an accused back to prison after release.
“We are conscious that howsoever grave the alleged offence is, there is a presumption of innocence,” the bench remarked.
The court further observed that allegations regarding the nature of the crime would ultimately be tested during the trial process.
At one stage, the bench indicated it was inclined to stay the bail order. However, after learning that Sonam had already been released and was in Shillong, it decided not to intervene immediately.
What is the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case?
The case pertains to the alleged murder of 29-year-old Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who travelled to Meghalaya with his wife Sonam after their wedding in May 2025.
The two disappeared after staying in a homestay in Nongriat, Meghalaya, on May 23. The body of Raja was recovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls in Sohra, Meghalaya, while that of Sonam was tracked down in Uttar Pradesh several days later.
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According to the Meghalaya Police chargesheet that is said to be more than 700 pages long, the murder was a pre-meditated crime that was allegedly masterminded by Sonam along with Raj Kushwaha and other persons.
Sonam Raghuvanshi was granted bail by the Meghalaya High Court on June 29 on account of the court noticing several instances of wrong provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita quoted in the arrest document along with total non-application of mind.
The trial in the case has begun, and witnesses are being examined at present.
FAQs
Q1. Has the Supreme Court revoked Sonam Raghuvanshi’s bail?
No. The Supreme Court has rejected Sonam Raghuvanshi’s remand application.
Q2. Why was Sonam Raghuvanshi granted bail by the Meghalaya High Court?
The Meghalaya High Court granted bail after finding procedural defects and errors in the arrest documents prepared by the police.