New Delhi: The Meghalaya government has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the grant of bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the high-profile murder of her husband during their honeymoon in the northeastern state last year. Appearing before a Bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Sheel Nagu on Thursday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought an urgent listing of the plea, arguing that the Meghalaya High Court erred significantly in allowing the accused to walk free.
The Solicitor General informed the apex court that the High Court had upheld the bail order primarily on technical grounds, noting that the full grounds of arrest were not properly supplied to Raghuvanshi at the time of her detention. Mehta clarified that the non-supply of documents in question was merely related to a statutory provision that had been incorrectly cited due to a typographical oversight by the processing officials. He urged the top court to intervene immediately, emphasizing that given the gravity of the crime, there remains a substantial risk of the accused absconding from justice. Acknowledging the urgency of the state’s petition, the Bench agreed to list the matter for a formal hearing on Friday.
The legal battle stems from a judgment delivered on June 29, when the Meghalaya High Court upheld a lower trial court’s decision to grant bail to Raghuvanshi. The criminal case dates back to May 23, 2025, when the newlywed couple mysteriously went missing while vacationing in the scenic Sohra region of Meghalaya. Following an intense search operation, the body of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, was recovered by local authorities from a deep gorge on June 2, 2025.
Subsequent police investigations uncovered a sinister plot behind the disappearance. State prosecutors have alleged that Sonam Raghuvanshi masterminded the entire operation, conspiring with hired contract killers to execute her husband in the remote terrain. Investigators have cited substantial financial gains as the primary motive behind the planned assassination, making the state’s upcoming Supreme Court appeal a crucial step in the pursuit of justice for the victim’s family.
