SHILLONG: A court in Meghalaya’s Shillong on Tuesday granted bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi, nearly 10 months after she was remanded in judicial custody.
The case has been referred to in the media as the Honeymoon Murder Case.
The court’s decision was based primarily on procedural lapses during her arrest by the Meghalaya Police, coupled with delays in the course of the trial.
The court noted that the police failed to clearly inform Sonam of the specific reasons for her arrest at the time of her detention in June 2025, which amounts to a violation of constitutional guarantees.
The court also noted the presence of a technical defect in the arrest papers, including incorrect citation of legal texts and incomplete documents, which weakened the prosecution’s procedural position at this stage.
The defense said the trial had seen limited progress in recent months despite the presentation of a massive indictment, making continued imprisonment without conviction untenable. The court accepted this claim while granting bail.
Reacting to this development, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Sim, said the prosecution would continue to pursue the case. “We respect the order of the honorable court. The investigation and trial will continue in accordance with the law. We remain confident of the evidence already presented before the court,” he told Hindustan Times.
Despite her release, the charges against Sonam remain active, and she has been directed to cooperate in the ongoing court proceedings.
The case relates to the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who was found dead in a gorge near Wee Sodong Falls in Sohra in June 2025 during what was supposed to be his honeymoon.
The police alleged that Sonam conspired with her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha and hired three contract killers to carry out the murder. A detailed indictment running into hundreds of pages has already been filed, and the trial is currently underway with numerous witnesses listed by the prosecution.
The granting of bail marks a crucial turn in the case, even as the prosecution prepares to continue its case in one of the most closely watched criminal trials in Meghalaya.
