Meghalaya High Court Affirms Bail for Sonam Raghuwanshi in Murder Case

On 29 June 2026, the Meghalaya High Court confirmed a previous bail decision made by a Shillong court in April 2026 for Sonam Raghuwanshi, who is the main suspect in the death of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon. The ruling dismissed an appeal from the State seeking to challenge the bail granted to Raghuwanshi. Justice W Diengdoh's bench had reserved judgement on this case on 10 June, after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence for more than ten days. A detailed written order from the Court is expected in due course.

Raghuwanshi's bail was initially granted by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Judicial) in Shillong, focusing on significant procedural errors in the arrest process. The Court found that the police failed to properly inform Raghuwanshi of the reasons for her arrest, violating her rights and potentially hindering her defence. The arrest documents had mistakenly cited Section 403(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) instead of the appropriate Section 103(1) BNS, which pertains to murder.

The Court highlighted that the same typographical error appeared across all documents related to the arrest, including the arrest memo and the inspection memo. These documents failed to specify that she was charged with the serious offence of murder, which led the Court to determine that Raghuwanshi's rights were compromised. The judge noted, "such error cannot occur in all documents. In none of the materials were the specific facts constituting the offence communicated to the accused."

In response to the High Court's ruling, Advocate General Amit Kumar, representing the State, challenged the notion that Raghuwanshi experienced actual prejudice due to the alleged mistakes in her arrest documentation. Kumar asserted that Raghuwanshi had been aware of the severity of the accusations against her, as evidenced by her signatures on arrest papers and her engagement in previous bail applications. He maintained that the alleged procedural irregularities should be classified as curable defects, referencing a precedent set by the Supreme Court of India in a case concerning procedural errors.

Justice Diengdoh questioned the recurrence of this typographical mistake throughout multiple arrest-related documentation. Notably, one of the forms incorrectly identified Raghuwanshi as a 'deserter' from the armed forces, which was irrelevant to her case, further indicating a lack of clarity in the arrest process.

The background of the case stems from the couple's disappearance on 23 May 2025, just eleven days after their marriage on 12 May. They were last seen departing a homestay in Nongriat, Meghalaya. Following an extensive search, Raja Raghuvanshi's body was discovered on 2 June, approximately ten days later, in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. Sonam was located near a roadside eatery on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway on 8 June.

Authorities have filed a comprehensive chargesheet exceeding 700 pages, claiming that the murder was premeditated, allegedly involving Sonam and an individual named Raj Kushwaha. The trial regarding the murder charge will proceed independently of the verdict regarding bail issued by the High Court.