Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, has told the Supreme Court that she has been falsely implicated. The apex court has declined to cancel her bail for now while the trial continues.
In an affidavit submitted before the apex court, Sonam opposed the Meghalaya government’s plea seeking cancellation of the bail granted to her by the Meghalaya High Court. She argued that the prosecution’s case is based on suspicion and circumstantial evidence rather than conclusive proof.
“I am innocent and have been falsely implicated,” Sonam stated in her affidavit, adding that the allegations against her are based on assumptions and not credible evidence.
Supreme Court declines to cancel bail
The Supreme Court declined to send Sonam back to custody, noting that she had already been released following the Meghalaya High Court’s order granting bail.
While the bench expressed reservations about certain aspects of the High Court’s reasoning, it said it was not inclined to interfere with the bail order at this stage.
The court reiterated the legal principle that every accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty and observed that the allegations against Sonam would ultimately be examined during the trial.
The bench also remarked that if bail had been granted solely because of a procedural defect in the arrest process, investigating agencies could lawfully arrest an accused again after rectifying the legal requirements.
Defence raises concerns over arrest procedure
During the hearing, Sonam’s counsel argued that she had not been properly informed of the grounds for her arrest and was denied meaningful legal assistance at the time.
However, the Supreme Court questioned why these objections had not been raised before lower courts during her earlier bail hearings.
Meghalaya government challenges bail
Representing the Meghalaya government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the case involves a premeditated murder and contended that the High Court granted bail because of a clerical error in the arrest documents.
According to the state, the arrest memo mistakenly mentioned Section 403 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) instead of Section 103, which deals with murder. The government maintained that the mistake was purely typographical and did not prejudice the accused.
The state also informed the court that Sonam’s bail applications had previously been rejected on three occasions after courts found prima facie material against her.
The Supreme Court indicated that it may consider referring to a larger bench the legal question of whether a typographical error in an arrest memo can invalidate an arrest or justify the grant of bail.
Raja Raghuvanshi murder case
Raja Raghuvanshi, a businessman from Indore, was allegedly murdered during his honeymoon trip to Meghalaya in May 2025. The couple had reportedly gone missing after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat, and Raja’s body was later recovered from a gorge near Weisawdong Falls in Sohra.
The Meghalaya Police have alleged that Sonam conspired with her alleged partner, Raj Kushwaha, and other accused to murder Raja as part of a planned conspiracy. A chargesheet exceeding 700 pages has been filed, and the trial is currently underway with witness examination in progress.
The allegations against the accused remain subject to judicial determination, and the trial is ongoing.
