Sonam Raghuvanshi, in black dress, is accused of plotting her husband’s murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Supreme Court on Thursday (July 23, 2026) quashed a June 29 order of the Meghalaya High Court upholding a Shillong trial court’s decision to grant bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi, who is accused of murdering her newlywed husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. The court directed her to surrender within three weeks.
A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale held that Ms. Raghuvanshi’s continued liberty at this stage would “hinder” the ongoing trial. It also rejected the defence’s contention that the grounds of arrest had not been furnished to her, observing that such a plea ought to have been raised at the earliest opportunity.
“On facts, the respondent is not entitled to bail. It is not as if the respondent was not served with the grounds of arrest. There is a difference between non-service of the grounds of arrest and furnishing inadequate reasons. While the first category may vitiate the arrest, in the second, the court has to examine whether any prejudice has been caused. Secondly, such a plea has to be raised at the earliest point of time,” the Bench observed.
Published – July 23, 2026 12:50 pm IST
