NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court on Thursday canceled the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the primary accused in the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Ordering her to surrender within three weeks, a bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale ruled that her continued release could obstruct the ongoing trial.
The apex court set aside decisions by the trial court and the Meghalaya High Court, which had freed Raghuvanshi over a technicality—specifically, a typographical error on her arrest memo citing Section 403 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita instead of Section 103 (murder). Rejecting the defense's procedural arguments, the Supreme Court noted that minor administrative errors do not constitute a total failure to inform an accused of arrest grounds, especially since Raghuvanshi was well aware of the murder charges.
Representing the Meghalaya government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that Raghuvanshi had absconded after the May 2025 incident, only surfacing after her co-accused were taken into custody. Investigators allege Raghuvanshi conspired with her associate, Raj Kushwaha, and three hired hitmen to murder her husband for financial gain, ultimately throwing his body into a deep gorge near Sohra.
The top court noted that while "bail is the rule and jail is the exception," her earlier bail rejections had reached finality and trial proceedings had already commenced. However, the bench added that if the trial fails to conclude within six months, Raghuvanshi retains the liberty to move a fresh bail plea.
