The Meghalaya High Court has upheld the decision of a trial court to grant bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi, an Indore resident accused of plotting her husband’s murder during their honeymoon. This decision, delivered on Monday, came as the court reviewed the state government’s appeal against the April 27 ruling of the District and Sessions Court in East Khasi Hills. The lower court had provided bail to Sonam, citing the police’s failure to clearly communicate the reasons for her arrest.
Justice W Diengdoh issued this ruling after reserving judgment on June 10, subsequent to extensive arguments presented by both sides over a span of more than ten days. A comprehensive judgment is still pending release.
Allegations and Arrest
Sonam Raghuvanshi faces accusations of orchestrating the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their May 2025 honeymoon in East Khasi Hills. Authorities allege that the crime was perpetrated with assistance from her purported paramour, Raj Kushwaha, along with three other accomplices. Sonam was apprehended in June 2025 and has since been formally charged, currently undergoing trial.
Trial Court’s Observations
In its April 27 order, the trial court identified procedural missteps made by the investigators during Sonam’s arrest. The court highlighted that the police neglected to adequately inform Sonam of the charges against her. The order specifically pointed out, “In none of the documents has the petitioner been intimated that she is arrested for the offence u/s 103(1) BNS.” The court dismissed the prosecution’s claim that this oversight was simply a clerical error, noting that the issue was consistently present across various documents.
State’s Appeal to the High Court
Following the trial court’s decision, the State of Meghalaya petitioned the High Court to revoke the bail. The state argued that Sonam had been properly informed of her arrest grounds and contended that the trial court had made an error in granting bail. The state was represented by Advocate R Kharkrang, Government Advocate S Laloo, Special Public Prosecutor N Khera, and Advocates AS Pandey, A Malik, and I Syiemlieh. Meanwhile, Sonam Raghuvanshi was represented by Advocates S Chanda, S Khyriem, and B Snaitang.
