The Supreme Court on Tuesday (21 July) indicated that it may ask Sonam Raghuvanshi, the accused in the alleged murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, to surrender while key prosecution witnesses are examined. The Court made the observation while hearing the Meghalaya government's plea challenging the High Court's decision to uphold her bail.
A Bench of Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice P.B. Varale clarified that it had not reached a final conclusion but wanted both sides to consider a fair course before deciding the matter.
Background of the Case
The case relates to the alleged murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during a honeymoon trip to Meghalaya in May 2025. According to the prosecution, Sonam Raghuvanshi was arrested in June 2025 and later charge-sheeted for offences including murder.
In April 2026, the District and Sessions Court at East Khasi Hills granted her bail after finding that the investigating agency had not properly communicated the grounds of arrest as required by law. The Meghalaya High Court later upheld that order, observing that the arrest documents contained repeated references to a non-existent provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, reflecting a lack of due care.
The State then approached the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the bail.
Court's Observations
During the hearing, the Bench suggested that Sonam could surrender temporarily while the trial court records the evidence of important prosecution witnesses.
The Bench told her counsel,
"There are two options. Either we will decide the matter on merits, or you may surrender in the interim till the witnesses are examined. We don't want to surprise you. The second option may be better for you."
The Court also questioned the defence regarding Sonam's conduct after the incident and why the issue of non-supply of grounds of arrest had not been raised in earlier bail proceedings.
Justice Sundresh observed,
"How do you explain your conduct? That is the primary issue. Did you dispute the non-supply of grounds of arrest in the earlier bail applications?"
The Bench further noted that if Sonam agreed to surrender, it could direct the trial court to quickly examine the remaining public witnesses before reconsidering her request for bail.
The State, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, argued that the reference to an incorrect section in the arrest memo was only a typographical error and did not invalidate the arrest. The Court was also informed that only four of the 94 prosecution witnesses have been examined so far.
Court's Decision
Without passing any final order on the State's plea, the Supreme Court asked Sonam Raghuvanshi's counsel to obtain instructions on whether she was willing to surrender pending examination of key witnesses.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 23, 2026, when the Court will consider the next course of action.
Case Details
Case Title: State of Meghalaya v. Sonam Raghuvanshi @ Bitti @ Bittu
Case Number: SLP (Crl.) No. 11944 of 2026
Judge: Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice P.B. Varale
Decision Date: July 21, 2026
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