The Meghalaya honeymoon murder case has brought fresh trouble for accused Sonam Raghuwanshi. The Supreme Court gave her two options during the hearing. The court said it can decide the bail cancellation plea based on case facts. Alternatively, Sonam can surrender and seek bail after witness examination. A bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B Varale heard the matter. The judges asked Sonam’s lawyer to take instructions from his client.
The next hearing will take place on Thursday, July 23. The court heard Meghalaya Police’s plea seeking cancellation of Sonam’s bail.
Raja Raghuwanshi Murder Case Timeline
Indore transport businessman Raja Raghuwanshi married Sonam on May 11, 2025. The couple travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon. Later, Raja disappeared from Cherrapunji. Police found his body inside a deep gorge after the search operation. Following investigation, police registered a murder case against Sonam, her alleged partner Raj Kushwaha and other associates.
Authorities arrested Sonam from Uttar Pradesh in June 2025. The case later moved through multiple court proceedings.
Why Did Sonam Receive Bail Earlier?
A wrongly prepared arrest memo became the basis for Sonam’s bail. Police mentioned BNS Section 403 instead of Section 103. Section 103 applies to murder charges under BNS. However, BNS does not contain the mentioned Section 403.
The lower court granted conditional bail to Sonam on April 28, 2026. The court said authorities failed to provide proper arrest reasons. According to the court, this violated Article 22(1) of the Constitution. Later, the High Court upheld the lower court order on June 29.
Solicitor General Challenges Sonam’s Bail Relief
On July 3, the Supreme Court issued notice on Meghalaya Police’s plea. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued for the police on July 21. He said Sonam remained missing for a long period. According to him, she surrendered after instructions from her associates. Mehta argued that Sonam knew the reasons behind her absence and surrender. He also said police informed her about the arrest reasons. Later, the magistrate also explained the arrest basis. Therefore, he argued that a human error in the memo cannot justify bail.
Court Questions Bail Basis In The Case
The judges appeared to agree that Sonam knew her arrest reasons. They said missing information cannot alone become bail grounds.When Sonam’s lawyer began arguments, the bench discussed deciding bail on case merits.The court offered another option if Sonam avoids merit-based consideration. It asked her to surrender and seek bail later.
Furthermore, the court said it would request the lower court to complete witness examination quickly.
