Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Sonam Raghuvanshi surrenders after SC cancels bail
Days after the Supreme Court cancelled her bail and directed her to surrender within three weeks, Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the Meghalaya honeymoon
Days after the Supreme Court cancelled her bail and directed her to surrender within three weeks, Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case, surrendered before a trial court on Tuesday. Sonam, accused of plotting the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, surrendered in compliance with the apex court's order passed last week. Read Full Story A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale had allowed the Meghalaya government's appeal against the bail granted to Sonam, observing that she was not entitled to the relief at this stage of the trial.
The court said Sonam was fully aware of the grounds of her arrest when she was taken into custody and held that even if there were typographical errors in the arrest memo, they could not constitute valid grounds for granting bail. The bench observed that the trial had reached a crucial stage, arguing that Sonam's continued release on bail could hamper the judicial process. It, however, clarified that she would be at liberty to file a fresh bail application if the trial is not concluded within six months. Reacting to the development, Raja's brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision and thanked the judiciary, the Meghalaya government and the investigating agencies.
Expressing confidence in the judicial process, he said he hoped the trial would conclude at the earliest and that all those responsible for his brother's murder would receive strict punishment. THE MEGHALAYA HONEYMOON MURDER CASE Sonam and her husband, Raja, travelled from Indore to Meghalaya for their honeymoon in May 2025. Days after the couple went missing, the Indore-based businessman's body was recovered from a deep gorge. The subsequent investigation uncovered an alleged murder conspiracy. According to investigators, the 25-year-old Sonam conspired with her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, and hired assailants to murder Raja for financial gain.
She was arrested in June 2025 and has since been facing trial along with the other accused. A Shillong trial court granted Sonam bail in April, and the Meghalaya High Court upheld the order in June. However, the Supreme Court later set aside both orders, cancelled her bail and directed her to surrender before the trial court within three weeks. Ends (With inputs from Deepak Verma)
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