In a significant development, Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of killing her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in 2025, surrendered before a trial court in Shillong in compliance with a Supreme Court order cancelling her bail. Sonam Raghuvanshi, the accused and a resident of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, was remanded to judicial custody on Tuesday, East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said.
Sonam was arrested in June last year
The couple had gone missing while vacationing in Meghalaya's Sohra area on May 23 last year. Subsequently, Raja's body was found in a deep gorge on June 2, 2025. Police have alleged that Sonam conspired with her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, and hired contract killers to murder Raja during the honeymoon for financial gain.
Meghalaya HC upholds trial court order granting bail to Sonam
On June 29, the Meghalaya High Court upheld a trial court order granting bail to the accused. The high court dismissed a petition filed by the state seeking cancellation of the bail granted by the trial court on April 27.
While holding that continued enlargement at this stage might hinder the ongoing trial, a bench of Supreme Court Justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale allowed the plea filed by the Meghalaya government challenging the bail granted to Sonam. The apex court said that in the event of the trial not proceeding and concluding within six months, Sonam is at liberty to file a fresh bail application.
SC had asked Sonam to surrebder in 3 weeks
On July 23, the Supreme Court had set aside the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of killing her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in 2025, and directed her to surrender within three weeks before police.
While holding that continued enlargement at this stage might hinder the ongoing trial, a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale allowed the plea filed by the Meghalaya government challenging the bail granted to Sonam.
"The respondent (Sonam) expressed her satisfaction on the reasons behind her arrest. Documents were indeed served on her. "Therefore, we are not inclined to go into the issue of the validity of the arrest. Suffice it to state that both courts have committed an error by granting bail on the basis of the judgment rendered by this court," the bench said.
The apex court said in the event of trial not proceeding and concluding within six months, Sonam is at liberty to file a fresh bail application. The top court had earlier questioned the conduct of Sonam while suggesting that she surrender and face trial in the case.
With inputs from PTI
Also Read:
