Correspondent
SHILLONG, JUN 29: Meghalaya High Court on Monday upheld the Shillong Session Court order granting bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi, prime accused in the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, in Sohra last year.
A single bench of Justice Wanlura Diengdoh dismissed the state’s appeal against the order of the Court of Additional Deputy Commissioner (Judicial), Shillong, Dashalene R. Kharbteng, on April 27, 2026, which had granted conditional bail to Sonam, citing procedural lapses during her arrest.
The lower court had noted that Sonam was not informed of the correct section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita under which she was held.
The state government, however, maintained that Sonam was aware of the grounds of her arrest and submitted supporting documents in the court on May 4, seeking revocation of the bail.
Diengdoh pronounced the verdict after reserving judgment on June 10, following more than 10 days of arguments from both sides.
The copy of a detailed judgment is awaited.
The Indore-based transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly murdered at the behest of his newly married wife Sonam during their honeymoon trip to Sohra, a popular tourist destination in Meghalaya, in May 2025.
He was allegedly killed by three men from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Meghalaya Police found the decomposed body of Raja from a deep gorge below the Weisawdong fall Parking Lot at Riat Arliang under Sohra Civil Sub Division of East Khasi Hills district on June 2, 2025.
Sonam, along with four other co-accused, including her alleged paramour Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, Anand Kurmi and Vishal Singh Chauhan were arrested on June 9, 2025 from different locations in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Meghalaya police had filed a 790-page charge-sheet against the accused persons before the Judicial Magistrate First Class at Sohra, framing charges against them under various sections of the BNS.