New Delhi : In a major setback for Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, the Supreme Court on Thursday cancelled her bail and directed her to surrender before the trial court within three weeks.
A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale allowed the Meghalaya government’s appeal against the bail granted to Sonam, observing that her remaining out on bail while the trial is underway could hamper the judicial process. The court, however, clarified that she would be free to file a fresh bail application after six months if the trial does not progress expeditiously.
Sonam, a 25-year-old resident of Indore, had travelled to Meghalaya with her husband Raja for their honeymoon in May 2025. The couple went missing during the trip, and Raja’s body was recovered from a deep gorge days later. Investigators later alleged that Sonam had conspired with her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, and hired contract killers to murder Raja for financial gain. She was arrested in June 2025.
Sonam had secured bail from a Shillong trial court in April, a decision later upheld by the Meghalaya High Court in June. However, the Supreme Court set aside those orders, holding that she was not entitled to bail at this stage of the proceedings.
“On facts, we find that the respondent is not entitled to bail,” the bench observed, adding that the issue was not one of complete non-service of the grounds of arrest but whether adequate reasons had been communicated.
The lower courts had granted bail on technical grounds, ruling that investigators failed to comply with the mandatory requirement of providing written grounds of arrest. The Meghalaya High Court had also noted that the arrest memo cited an incorrect provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), describing it as a case of “non-application of judicious mind”.
Appearing for the Meghalaya government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the error in the arrest memo was merely clerical and should not invalidate the arrest. He also contended that Sonam posed a flight risk if allowed to remain on bail.
While reiterating the legal principle that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception”, the Supreme Court said the trial had already commenced and Sonam’s continued liberty could interfere with the proceedings. The bench therefore cancelled her bail and ordered her to surrender before the trial court within three weeks.
The court also noted that it had earlier considered referring to a larger bench the legal question of whether a typographical error in an arrest memo could invalidate an arrest and justify bail. During a previous hearing, it had given Sonam the option of voluntarily surrendering or facing a decision on the Meghalaya government’s plea seeking cancellation of her bail.
In her defence, Sonam maintained that she had been falsely implicated and argued that the prosecution’s case relied entirely on circumstantial evidence. She contended that allegations alone could not be treated as proof of guilt.
Raja Raghuvanshi, a 29-year-old businessman from Indore, married Sonam on May 11, 2025, and the couple left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20. They went missing shortly after arriving in the state. On June 2, 2025, Raja’s decomposed body was found in a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls, turning what initially appeared to be a missing persons case into a sensational murder investigation.
According to the Meghalaya Police, Sonam had allegedly plotted the murder with her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, even before the wedding. Investigators claim the duo hired three contract killers—Akash Rajput, Vishal Chauhan and Anand Kurmi—for approximately ₹20 lakh to kill Raja during the honeymoon and stage the crime as a robbery. The case is currently under trial.
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