SHILLONG, July 2: The Meghalaya government on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking an immediate stay on the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Sohra.
Appearing for the state, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the apex court to urgently hear the matter, arguing that the accused could abscond if released. He told a vacation bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu that bail was granted due to a minor typographical error in citing a legal provision, which should not have been treated as sufficient ground.
The bench agreed to list the plea for hearing on Friday.
Sonam, a resident of Indore, was arrested in June 2025 on charges of conspiring with hired assailants to kill her husband. The couple had gone missing during their honeymoon in Sohra on May 23, 2025. Raja’s body was later recovered from a deep gorge.
On June 29, the Meghalaya High Court had upheld a trial court order granting her bail, observing that the grounds of arrest were not properly communicated and reflected “total non-application of judicious mind” by the investigating agency.
Raja Raghuvanshi’s family welcomed the state government’s decision to challenge the bail. His elder brother, Bipin Raghuvanshi, expressed apprehension that Sonam, who is currently in Shillong, could abscond or influence witnesses if released. He said the family has full faith in the judiciary and hopes justice will prevail.
